The Society for Women in Philosophy, United Kingdom
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Welcome to our website! SWIP UK is an organisation of UK women in philosophy, including students and professionals, working within or outside academic departments, which aims to end discrimination against women in philosophy. SWIP has sister-groups worldwide, with hundreds of members and friends within the UK branch. |
Good Practice Scheme.
SWIP UK and the British Philosophical Association are pleased to support the Good Practice Scheme. Its purpose is to improve the environment for, and representation of, women in philosophy.
SWIP UK panel at Joint Session.
Each year SWIP UK hold a panel (and sometimes an information desk) at the host University of the Joint Session of the Aristotelian Society and the Mind Association. Please consider submitting your papers to us!
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Aims and Membership.
SWIP UK have revised the aims and membership criteria to be more inclusive and intersectional. See the 'Who We Are' page for details.
Data Protection Regulation.
By subscribing to SWIP UK, individuals consent to us holding their contact details and we will inform them if these are lost or stolen. Individuals can ask for these details to be erased and we will erase them when their Membership/Friendship elapses or if they have not responded to renewal invitation emails.
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NEWS.
2025:
SWIP UK AGM:
The 2025 conference was held at LSE on feminist, gender, and queer theory in the context of the contemporary political moment, on May 29-30th 2025. We thank the LSE organisers Julia Costet and Nadia Ma and SWIP organiser Mridula Sharma. Minutes from the AGM have been circulated to members of SWIP UK. If you would like to volunteer to host the 2026 SWIP UK conference at your institution, please do get in touch - we would be happy to offer financial and other assistance.
SWIP UK Executive Committee changes:
We thank Andrea Rehberg for her service on the SWIP UK executive committee who supported our external links and was active on the committee for many years - thank you, Andrea! We therefore have space on our committee for new members if anyone would like to join us - we have a particular need for a postgraduate representative and someone to support our communications and social media engagement. Please contact Suki Finn and/or Katharine Jenkins as co-Directors to discuss the options if you are interested.
Statement of solidarity and support...
...in response to the recent UK Supreme Court ruling and EHRC guidance:
The Society for Women In Philosophy UK (SWIP UK) condemns the recent Supreme Court ruling on 16 April 2025 determining that the term ‘woman’ in the Equality Act 2010 refers to a binary and biological notion of ‘sex’, and the subsequent interim guidance published by the EHRC on 25 April 2025. This ruling and the guidance undermine the human rights and safety of trans, non-binary, and intersex people and are also detrimental to cis women. Trans women are women, and belong in feminist organisations. There is no fight against sexism and misogyny separate from the fight against cissexism and transmisogyny.
SWIP UK membership, in line with our recognitions and aims, has for many years been open to trans women and to other trans and/or non-binary people who feel the category of ‘woman’ is relevant to their experiences, and this will not change under any circumstances. The legal landscape is currently very unclear and rapidly changing. We are in the process of finding out what concrete steps, if any, we need to take to ensure the continuation of our current approach to membership. We will involve members in this in accordance with our bylaws. We plan to respond to the EHRC consultation which closes at the end of June, and anyone who would like to support our efforts on this is invited to get in touch with us via our websites contact form.
Finally, we want to recognise what a difficult time this is, especially for those directly targeted by this ruling, and we send a message of solidarity and support to everyone affected.
-The SWIP UK Executive Committee.
2025:
SWIP UK AGM:
The 2025 conference was held at LSE on feminist, gender, and queer theory in the context of the contemporary political moment, on May 29-30th 2025. We thank the LSE organisers Julia Costet and Nadia Ma and SWIP organiser Mridula Sharma. Minutes from the AGM have been circulated to members of SWIP UK. If you would like to volunteer to host the 2026 SWIP UK conference at your institution, please do get in touch - we would be happy to offer financial and other assistance.
SWIP UK Executive Committee changes:
We thank Andrea Rehberg for her service on the SWIP UK executive committee who supported our external links and was active on the committee for many years - thank you, Andrea! We therefore have space on our committee for new members if anyone would like to join us - we have a particular need for a postgraduate representative and someone to support our communications and social media engagement. Please contact Suki Finn and/or Katharine Jenkins as co-Directors to discuss the options if you are interested.
Statement of solidarity and support...
...in response to the recent UK Supreme Court ruling and EHRC guidance:
The Society for Women In Philosophy UK (SWIP UK) condemns the recent Supreme Court ruling on 16 April 2025 determining that the term ‘woman’ in the Equality Act 2010 refers to a binary and biological notion of ‘sex’, and the subsequent interim guidance published by the EHRC on 25 April 2025. This ruling and the guidance undermine the human rights and safety of trans, non-binary, and intersex people and are also detrimental to cis women. Trans women are women, and belong in feminist organisations. There is no fight against sexism and misogyny separate from the fight against cissexism and transmisogyny.
SWIP UK membership, in line with our recognitions and aims, has for many years been open to trans women and to other trans and/or non-binary people who feel the category of ‘woman’ is relevant to their experiences, and this will not change under any circumstances. The legal landscape is currently very unclear and rapidly changing. We are in the process of finding out what concrete steps, if any, we need to take to ensure the continuation of our current approach to membership. We will involve members in this in accordance with our bylaws. We plan to respond to the EHRC consultation which closes at the end of June, and anyone who would like to support our efforts on this is invited to get in touch with us via our websites contact form.
Finally, we want to recognise what a difficult time this is, especially for those directly targeted by this ruling, and we send a message of solidarity and support to everyone affected.
-The SWIP UK Executive Committee.