Astarte is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to advancing critical and interdisciplinary scholarship in the field of gender and sexuality studies. Based in Malta, at the heart of the Mediterranean, Astarte offers a space for dialogue between North and South, East and West, connecting diverse feminist, queer, trans, and decolonial perspectives from across cultures, languages, and histories.
The journal’s name evokes Astarte, the ancient Phoenician and Canaanite goddess of love, fertility, and war, whose worship spread across the ancient Mediterranean. Her temple once stood on Maltese soil at Tas-Silġ, a site symbolising continuity between the Neolithic and the classical world. This journal embodies the symbolism of endurance and transformation as it examines how gender and sexuality have shaped, and continue to shape, the human experience across time and place.
Astarte aims to become a leading Mediterranean forum for research, dialogue, and activism in gender and sexualities. The Journal aims to:
Through these commitments, Astarte positions itself as a hub of feminist, queer, and decolonial thought, contributing to global conversations from a distinctly Mediterranean perspective.
View the list of research areas the journal will accept papers on online.
Astarte is more than a journal—it is a Mediterranean intellectual project. By centring the region’s rich cultural intersections, we challenge Eurocentric narratives and offer new pathways for understanding global gender and sexual politics. Our editorial philosophy values:
We invite original, unpublished work that contributes to critical debates on gender and sexuality in English or Maltese. Submissions may include:
All manuscripts undergo double-blind peer review. Astarte charges no publication fees and is committed to accessibility and academic integrity.
For details on submission guidelines, formatting, and AI ethics, visit our website or contact: gender.fsw@um.edu.mt
