Féile 2026 discussions to focus on ending violence against women and girls

placeholder image — Susan Lagdon | Iconic Media

Two discussions will bring leading academics to Derry to examine the radicalisation of boys and men online, coercive control and the hidden realities of abusive relationships

Féile 2026 features an extensive programme of debates and discussions on a wide range of issues, including the campaign to end violence against women and girls, misogyny and abusive relationships.

Two discussions will bring leading academics to Derry to examine the radicalisation of boys and men online, coercive control and the hidden realities of abusive relationships.

On Friday 7th August at 1pm at Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, Professor Debbie Ging, Professor of Digital Media and Gender at Dublin City University, will discuss how boys and men are being radicalised online into male supremacist ideologies.

Professor Ging is Director of the DCU Institute for Research on Genders and Sexualities. Her research focuses on online anti-feminist politics, the manosphere, technology-facilitated abuse and the radicalisation of boys and men, as well as educational interventions to tackle these issues.

On Friday 14th August at 1pm at the Holywell Trust, Dr Susan Lagdon, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Ulster University, will explore the hidden dynamics of coercion, the subtle warning signs that often remain unseen and the complex forces that can make leaving an abusive relationship difficult.

Drawing on both research and personal reflections, Dr Lagdon will examine why abuse is not always accompanied by obvious signs of harm and how coercive control can remain hidden from those around it.

Both discussions are supported by Apex Housing Association and form part of a packed programme of debates and discussions taking place throughout Féile 2026, exploring some of the biggest political, social and cultural issues facing society today.

View the full Féile 2026 programme at: www.feilederry.com/feile-2026