Animals & Gender: Exploring intersectional feminist questions
The 11th edition of the LOVA International Summer School took place from 6–10 July 2026 in Amsterdam. Following the success of last year’s edition, Irene Arends continued to organize another edition that brought LOVA’s distinctive gender lens to the study of human–animal relations.
Under the title “Animals and Gender: Exploring Intersectional Feminist Questions,” the program created space for a week of critical inquiry, dialogue, exchange, and peer bonding. The 15 participants represented a rich mix both in terms of seniority (from students to assistant professors) and in terms of nationalities (including Dutch, Chinese, Russian, German, Peruvian, British, French, Canadian, Danish, and more). Yet it was the shared concern for and enthusiasm about intersectional and vegan feminist questions that was most strongly felt and appreciated among the participants.
Throughout the week, academic lectures were complemented by contributions from practitioners and activists, bringing experiences from beyond academia into the conversation. The program also included embodied practices and body work, offering ways of engaging with the themes that went beyond intellectual reflection alone. And not to forget the Critical Animals Studies Amsterdam walking tour. All these wonderful contributions were made possible by: Eva Meijer (keynote), Janine Janssen, Lani Eggert, Lenneke van Gaal, Katinka Wijsman, Fernando Gonzalez, Monique Janssens, Juel McNeilly, and Rochelle Villani. On Saturday, there was furthermore the opportunity to join a guided visit to the animal sanctuary Het Wijland, which was a great way to end a successful week.
An in-depth report on the week can be found in the upcoming issue of the LOVA Journal. We were kindly hosted by CEDLA, University of Amsterdam, for which we are very grateful.
