National Women's Studies Association

NWSA leads the field of women's studies in educational and social transformation. 


Become a Member  2024 Annual Conference

About the Association

Established in 1977, the National Women's Studies Association has as one of its primary objectives promoting and supporting the production and dissemination of knowledge about women and gender through teaching, learning, research and service in academic and other settings.

Our commitments are to: illuminate the ways in which women’s studies are vital to education; to demonstrate the contributions of feminist scholarship that is comparative, global, intersectional and interdisciplinary to understandings of the arts, humanities, social sciences and sciences; and to promote synergistic relationships between scholarship, teaching and civic engagement in understandings of culture and society.

About Us

  • Connect with Peers

    NWSA facilitates connections amongst an array of stakeholders; we know that the reach and utility of a WGSS-grounded education is reflected throughout our diverse membership. Administrators, artists, co-conspirators, disruptors, dreamers, K-12 educators, organizers and activists, servant leaders, students, and feminists of all disciplines make up our network of folks working to build feminist futures.

  • Access & Share Resources

    The Association offers resources and space to nurture learning communities in order to strengthen the field. Whether you are interested in reviewing our listing of WGSS Journals or are preparing for Program Evaluation, members can access a number of resources curated by NWSA leadership and collaborative task-forces driven by our members.

  • Present Your Work

    NWSA's signature offering is our Annual Conference - a space to submit your work in our peer-review process and invite meaningful engagement of your scholarship among peers. The Annual Conference convenes every fall with the intention of uplifting cutting edge scholarship and activism that speaks to the breadth and depth of women's, gender, and sexuality studies.

Explore the Community

NWSA members - both individual and institutional members - are able to access a number of resources. We are most proud of the multivocality of the field and the members who shape the reach of what feminist education and activism can be. Our Constituency Groups are member-driven spaces focused on facilitating networks of support, exploring scholarly and activist topics, professional standards within subsets of the discipline, and fostering community connections based upon shared socio-political locations. Our member community allows you to post in ongoing discussion threads, share resources for curriculum and interventions, and pour into networks of support!

Upcoming Events


Reconnect | Repair | Restore

“Reconnect, Repair, Restore: A More Thoughtful, Transparent, and Trustworthy NWSA” is a two-year strategic plan President Heidi R. Lewis developed after conducting one-on-one meetings with each member of the Governing Council and the Interim Director this past November and December (2023).  

Learn More

Explore the 2024 Annual Conference Call for Proposals

NWSA invites proposals that are attentive to the many facets of our multidirectional and multivocal field. We especially welcome those that focus on Waawiiyaataanong and Grace Lee Boggs’ life, work, and legacy, such as dialectical thinking, grassroots activism, the limitations of diversity, global warming, food and housing security, empire dependency, capital flight, and restorative justice.

Read the CFP

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