Introductory session for the International Women's Day (IWD) panel discussion with: Marianna Fotaki, Jeff Hearn, Emmanouela Mandalaki, Mie Plotnikof, Cinzia Priola, Alison Pullen, Nela Smolović Jones, Melissa Tyler and Alice Wickström.

Academic spaces and outlets, as bastions of critical thought, are increasingly becoming coopted into the mainstream, fortifying the neoliberal status quo. In such an environment accounting for and amplifying democratic struggles on the ground becomes almost impossible. The commodification of academic outlets, such as journals, especially those established to enhance equalities, has become a commonplace strategy for taming our resistances and quashing our voices. In this IWD mini conference we will explore these developments from a gendered perspective with a range of wonderful speakers, many of whom have been engaging in activist endeavours, in academia and in broader society, for many years. The conference will open with a panel discussion on the ethical responsibility of nurturing and protecting critical voices in academia.