The History of Witchcraft and Feminism

The image of the witch is often portrayed as a female figure, closely tied to the perception of witchcraft as a female crime. Throughout centuries of European witchcraft history, women were the main targets of accusations, trials, and executions, reinforcing the connections between witchcraft and societal expectations of women.

When examined through a feminist lens, the history of witchcraft reveals how patriarchal structures have weaponised the fear of witchcraft to control and oppress women. Many feminist scholars argue that the persecution of witches served as a means to enforce gender roles, limit female autonomy, and maintain male dominance. But was this truly the case?

**Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm**

**Speaker Bio**

Dr Debora Moretti is a historian and archaeologist, and is currently a researcher at the University of Hertfordshire and the Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies (CREMS) at the University of York. After a career in both academic and commercial archaeology, focusing on the material evidence of magic and witchcraft in archaeological contexts, Debora completed her PhD in History at the University of Bristol (UK). Her research, which formed part of the Leverhulme Trust-funded project "The Figure of the Witch," supervised by Professor Ronald Hutton, was dedicated to the image of witches and witchcraft in late medieval and early modern Italy.

Presented by Seed Talks

This is an 18+ event