• About UANews
• Sign up for News
• Resources for Media
• Calendar
• Contact Us

The conference, "The Audacity of Feminism," is open to everyone interested in learning about the history and state of feminism.

By University Communications
March 4, 2009

The Women's Resource Center at The University of Arizona is co-sponsoring this year's statewide National Organization for Women conference, which will be held on campus.

The UA center, which is part of the Associated Students of the UA, began working with the National Organization for Women's Tucson chapter in August to plan the event.

The conference, "The Audacity of Feminism," will address a range of feminist issues through two gatherings. Both are part of the UA Women's Herstory Month events, which are being held throughout the month of March.

The National Organization for Women, also known as NOW, was founded in 1966. 

A welcome reception will be held Friday from 6-9 p.m. at the Women's Plaza of Honor. The Women's Resource Center collaborated with the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership to host the event.

The conference will be held Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the UA Women's Studies building, which is located at 925 N. Tyndall Ave. Registration costs will cover attendance to both events.

Kim Gandy, the National Organization for Women president, will speak at both events, offering the keynote address at a luncheon at the Arizona Historical Society as part of the conference.

"Though the word 'feminism' continues to be misrepresented, mocked and misunderstood, this conference embraces the ideologies, resistances and actions of feminism, while providing a forum to discuss a variety of current issues," said Carly Thomsen, who advises the Women's Resource Center.

"Each of the many topics that will be addressed are timely, relevant and reflect urgent issues," said Thomsen, who is also a research technician for the UA's Southwest Institute for Research on Women.

One panel discussion will address feminization of poverty. During the discussion, experts will talk about homelessness, poverty, the impacts of the current housing crisis, the recently passed Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act from the context of being a woman.

Panelists also will discuss border issues, disability, LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) rights, reproductive rights in Arizona, the prison system and various other topics.

"In addition to providing a forum to discuss the local impacts of these very global problems, this conference will also bring one of the nation's most prominent feminist activists to Tucson," Thomsen said.