The conference, which is open to all interested scholars, policy-makers, students and the general public, will be held from 12 to 13 November 2025 at the Faculty of Law of the University of São Paulo, Brazil. Through meaningful exchanges between scholars, practitioners, and thought leaders from diverse backgrounds and regions, we aim to foster dialogues that challenge conventional wisdom and generate innovative solutions.
We welcome new members: anyone identifying as a woman business scholar, undertaking research concerning business, in any discipline or across disciplines, may submit their membership application through this online form. We especially encourage scholars from low-income countries, of diverse backgrounds and in all levels of academia to apply.
For all members of Daughters of Themis, the conference will be followed by the Annual Network Meeting, and then a social weekend in the beautiful village of Paraty from 14 to 16 November.
Conference Program (all times are in BRT)
Wednesday 12 November
09:00–10:00: Welcome and opening of the conference (representatives of Daughters of Themis and Centre for Inclusion in Academia (GPEIA)
10:00–11:30 - Panel 1
- Brenda Dutra Franco & Caroline da Rosa Pinheiro - Diversity By Design: Rethinking Corporate Governance for Sustainable Impact
- Fatma Beril Özcanlı & Ayşe Şahin - Exploring Steward Ownership and Other Alternative Ownership and Governance Models for Sustainable Business and Diversity
11:30–12:50 - Lunch break
13:00–14:30 - Panel 2
- Gabriela de Oliveira Junqueira & Sheila C. Neder Cerezetti – Corporate Sustainability: Learning Pressures and Institutional Developments at the Global Level
- Chiara Morfea & Beate Sjåfjell – Decolonising Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence
- Natália de Lima Figueiredo & Olívia de Quintana Figueiredo Pasqualeto – Neo-Colonial Dynamics in the Energy Transition: A Micro-Level Analysis of Sustainable Practices in Brazilian Lithium Companies
14:30–14:45 - Break
14:45–16:15 - Panel 3
- Gabriela da Silva Brandão - Advancing Gender Equality in the Brazilian Federal Public Advocacy: Institutional Innovations and Sustainable Governance
- Mirka Fries - What Law Enables: A Feminist Critique of the Legal Architecture Behind Unsustainable Business
16:15–16:30 - Break
16:30–18:00 - Panel 4
- Anne-Marie Weber, Paweł Maranowski, Zofia Mazur, Aleksandra Szczęsna & Tonio Friedmann – Breaking the Perpetuum Mobile of Shareholder Primacy: The Role of Legal Education in Mainstreaming Corporate Sustainability
- Isabelle Oglouyan de Campos, Luana Lauriano Nastri, Gabriela Biazi Justino da Silva, Cecília Barreto de Almeida, Isabela Mendonça Moreira, Lívia Gil Guimarães, Aline Fonseca & Sheila Christina Neder Cerezetti – Social Innovation and Gender: Rethinking Academic Career Paths at USP Law School
19:30–21:00 - Dinner
Thursday 13 November
09:00–10:30 - Panel 5
- Laura Coordes – Sustainable Utilities
- Stephanie Vendemiatto Penereiro – Intersections Between Competition Law and Sustainability
- Lívia Regina Batista-Pritchard & Flavio Roberto Batista – Intellectual Activism as Care-full Performativity in Management Education: Critical Self-reflection on Lived Experiences to Understand the “Other”
10:30–10:45 - Break
10:45–12:15 - Panel 6
- Macarena López Ugarte - Diversity, Inclusion and Gender in Modern Corporate Governance: Enhancing Female Representation in Boards of Directors
- Sanja Mihalić & Buga Mihalić - Decolonizing Corporate Accountability: Legal Reflections on the UN Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights
12:15–12:30 - Break
12:30–13:00 - Closing of the Conference
13:00–14:00 - Lunch break
Additional Programme for Daughters of Themis
Daughters of Themis Network Meeting 2025
This hybrid meeting is open to all members of Daughters of Themis – and we welcome new members! Anyone identifying as a woman business scholar, i.e. undertaking research concerning business, in any discipline or across disciplines, is welcome to apply for membership. We especially encourage scholars from low-income countries, of diverse backgrounds and in all levels of academia to apply.
Thursday, 13 November 14:00-17:00 (Brasilia time); University of São Paulo, Brazil / Zoom
Programme
Thursday 13 November
14.00-14.15 Welcome by our hosts, Center for Inclusion in Academia (GPEIA)
14.15-14.45 Session 1
Daughters of Themis: A brief introduction to its history, status and preliminary reflections about its future, by Beate Sjåfjell
14.45-15.15 Session 2
Advice to our younger selves / Peer advice, by Shruti Kashyap and Sanja Mihalić
Short convenience break
15.30-16.30 Session 3
Discussing the future of Daughters of Themis, by Sanja Mihalić and Beate Sjåfjell
To inform this discussion and our further work, we ask all members to please fill out this survey, independently of whether you can join the network meeting or not.
16.30-17.00 Session 4 Election of the 2026 Themis Steering Committee. By Beate Sjåfjell
Please register your participation through this online form by 6 November 2025.
Organising committee:
Steering Committee 2025 of Daughters of Themis: International Network of Women Business Scholars
Any questions may be directed to contact-themis@jus.uio.no.
19:00-23:00: Cultural activity and dinner
Visit to MAC – Museu de Arte Contemporânea and dinner at the museum restaurant.
Friday 14 November 2025
Trip from São Paulo to Paraty
Lunch and city tour
Dinner
Saturday 15 November 2025
Boat trip to visit the islands near the city
Dinner
Sunday 16 November 2025
Transportation back to São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro (for anyone who wishes to extend their trip)
Registration
Registration for the conference for all participants is open until 30 October 2025. Please register through this online form. Early registration is encouraged.
Members of Daughters of Themis may register for the additional programme through this online form by 30 August 2025. Early registration is encouraged.
Daughters of Themis and the Centre for Inclusion in Academia of the University of São Paulo (GPEIA-USP) unfortunately have no funding to offer financial assistance to speakers, who will have to cover their own travel and accommodation.
Organising committee
The organising committee is composed of the directors of the Centre for Inclusion in Academia (GPEIA), Cecilia Barreto, Isabelle Oglouyan de Campos, Lívia Gil Guimarães, and Sheila Christina Neder Cerezetti, along with its dedicated research team, Barbara Nicole Lima Orihuela, Gabriela Biazi, Isabela Moreira and Luana Lauriano Nastri. Together, they are committed to creating a vibrant and inclusive environment for all participants. For any questions about the conference, please contact daughtersofthemis.conf2025@gmail.com.