On April 7 and 8, the FEMglocal - Glocal feminist movements: interactions and contradictions research project, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through national funds (PTDC/COM-CSS/4049/2021 / DOI 10.54499/PTDC/COM-CSS/4049/2021), held its Final Conference at Lusófona University – Porto University Centre, marking a key milestone in the ongoing research on feminisms, media, and activism in Portugal.
The morning of April 7 opened with the presentation of key findings from the past three years, exploring the histories and herstories of Portuguese feminisms, their (in)visibility in the media, and the communication strategies used by activists, collectives, and associations. The session also featured the first (unofficial) presentation of the interactive map of feminist collectives and associations in Portugal – a digital tool designed to make feminist movements more visible and accessible.
The afternoon began with a session on “Glocal Feminisms”, featuring keynote interventions by international consultants Kaitlynn Mendes and Stefania Milan, moderated by Inês Amaral. The discussion addressed pressing global issues such as the rise of anti-feminism, hate speech, and the backlash against women’s rights in both digital and public spaces.
This was followed by a roundtable on the challenges of creating feminist documentaries that speak beyond already-aware audiences, bringing together guests Paula Cosme Pinto, Marta Calejo, Mariana Gil, and António Morais, in conversation with the directors of the FEMglocal documentary, Ana Sofia Pereira and Vanessa Rodrigues. The day concluded with the first public screening of the documentary, in an unofficial premiere.
On April 8, the conference concluded with a special guided visit to the “Invisibilidades/Invisibilities” exhibition at MIRA Gallery, curated as part of the Porto Femme – International Film Festival, and led by Manuela Matos Monteiro.
2nd-year Communication Sciences students from Lusófona University covered the event as correspondents, conducting interviews and sharing critical reflections. Their engagement echoed in a collective takeaway: “Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.”