Tokyo College Event: “Modern Women and Medieval Witches: New Perspectives on Feminism”

Abstract

Ms. Mona Chollet is a journalist and essayist who has had an immense influence on feminist debates in Europe. At the invitation of the Embassy of France in Tokyo, she is in Japan to celebrate the translated edition of her bestseller Sorcières: La puissance invaincue des femmes (English title: In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial). In this work, she uncovers the history of the witch-hunts that swept through Europe in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period and discusses it in connection with the modern social calamity known as “misogyny.” Professor UENO Chizuko, pioneer of women’s studies in Japan and longtime feminist leader, will engage in an in-depth discussion with Ms. Chollet on women today and where to go from here.

Lecturer: Mona Chollet
Born in 1973 in Geneva, Switzerland. Journalist, Essayist. After earning a bachelor’s degree in literature in Geneva, she proceeded to graduate from the Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme de Lille in France. She has written extensively on feminism, mass media, and contemporary social and political imagery.

Commentator: Prof. UENO Chizuko
Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo, Feminist, Sociologist. Chief Director, NPO Women’s Action Network. A pioneer in the field of women’s and gender studies. Her research also addresses elder care and caregiving. She is the author of many books, including Kea no shakaigaku (‘The Sociology of Care’) (Ohta Publishing, 2011), Ohitorisama no rōgo (‘Living Alone in Old Age’) (Houken, 2007), and Feminizumu ga hiraita michi (‘Doors Opened by Feminism’) (NHK Publishing, 2022). She founded the NPO Women’s Action Network (WAN) in May 2019 and assumed its presidency in April 2011. 

Moderator: Prof. KASAGI Eri
Professor Graduate Schools for Law and Politics and Faculty of Law, The University of Tokyo; Research Fellow, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France)