Byron Writers Festival presents Germaine Greer – On Consent

WHEN: November 15, 2018 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
WHERE:
Byron Theatre
69 Jonson St
Byron Bay NSW 2481
Australia
COST: Full $30 | Members $25 | Ages 16+

Academic and feminist Germaine Greer speaks about the history and complexities of consent.

Join one of the great feminists of our time, Germaine Greer, as she discusses her controversial new essay, On Rape. Amidst the throes of the #metoo movement, which has brought the pervasive nature of predatory behaviour to the fore, Greer argues that we need to understand the important difference between sleaze and assault.

In On Rape, a new essay commissioned by Melbourne University Publishing, Greer writes that ‘centuries of writing and thinking about rape—as inflicted by men on women—have got us nowhere’, and she calls for a better way. Renowned for her original and fearless writing and opinions, Greer will challenge us to rethink the social norms and power dynamics that influence our understanding of consent.

This event will feature a presentation of Greer’s ideas, followed by a conversation exploring how we can equip ourselves, our legal systems and future generations with a more nuanced understanding of consent.

We understand that this event addresses topics that will be confronting for some people.

Please note this event is not suitable for persons aged 16 and under.

If you or someone you know needs help or information about sexual assault or domestic violence, contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au.

About Greer’s essay On Rape

It’s time to rethink rape. Centuries of different approaches to rape as inflicted by men on women have got us nowhere. Rape statistics remain intractable: one woman in five will experience sexual violence. Very few rapes find their way into court. The crucial issue is consent, thought by some to be easy to establish and by others impossible. Sexual assault does not diminish; relations between the sexes do not improve; litigation balloons. In On Rape, Germaine Greer argues there has to be a better way

About Germaine Greer

Germaine Greer was born in Melbourne and educated in Australia and at Cambridge University. Her book, The Female Eunuch (1969), remains one of the most influential texts of the feminist movement. Greer has had a distinguished academic career in Britain and the United States. She makes regular appearances in print and other media as a broadcaster, journalist, columnist and reviewer. Since 2001 she has been involved in rehabilitating 60 hectares of subtropical rainforest in south-east Queensland; in 2011 she set up Friends of Gondwana Rainforest, a UK charity to help in financing that and similar projects.

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