2024 National Women's Studies Annual Conference

Thursday, November 14th - Sunday, November 17th 

The National Women’s Studies Association  leads the field of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. Established in 1977, NWSA has more than 2,000 members worldwide. Our annual conference regularly draws more than 2,300 attendees and is the only annual meeting in the continental United States of America and its territories that is exclusively dedicated to showcasing the latest feminist scholarship. 

The 2024 conference is hosted at the Huntington Place Convention Center and will open on Thursday, November 14th with three pre-conferences and a Pedagogical Institute. The Program Administration and Development (PAD) and Women’s Centers (WC) meetings offer networking and professional development opportunities for women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and women’s center administrators. The Women of Color Leadership Project (WoCLP) is designed to support women of color in their professional goals and leadership development; interested candidates must apply separately to participate. Our 2024 Pedagogical Institute on Teaching Gender and Sexual Justice in Arab, Muslim and Palestinian Communities is a collaborative initiative led by our Constituency Group, Feminists for Justice in/for Palestine.

The General Conference begins on Thursday afternoon and concludes Sunday afternoon; it will feature concurrent breakout sessions, receptions, an awards celebration honoring members of the Association, and opportunities for connection. Explore more facets of our 44th Annual Conference by clicking each tab under "Annual Conference".

Review our 2024 Call for Proposals   Explore the Conference Program

Interrogating Place & Space: Meet the 2024 Conference Co-Chairs

Each year, the Association President invites two thought leaders to co-curate our Annual Conference program; they work with our interim executive director to design our proposal review process, accessibility protocols and resources (more to come!), and guide our outreach to Michigan-based (Detroit, Dearborn, Yspilanti, Ann Arbor, etc.) organizations, businesses, and potential partners.

Huwaida Arraf is a Palestinian-American human/civil rights attorney, activist, mom, and freedom rider; a Detroit native, she is the co-founder of International Solidarity Movement and former chair of Free Gaza Movement. In 2003 and 2004, the ISM was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and continues to galvanize over 10,000 volunteers committed to justice for Palestine.

Lydia Kelow-Bennett is an Assistant Professor of Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan; her areas of research include U.S. Black feminist thought, U.S. Black popular culture, and Black cultural studies. Lydia also previously served as chair of the Women of Color Caucus and sits on the advisory board of the Women of Color Leadership Project (WoCLP). 

NWSA is especially grateful for the perspectives and expertise as we attend to the contours of place and space in planning for our annual convening this November!

Registration Details

All presenters, including pre-conference presenters, poster session participants, and moderators must have active NWSA individual membership and be registered for the conference by August 31st. Membership and conference registration are two separate processes and require separate fees. We recommend updating your individual membership first, then registering for the conference in order to receive the reduced rate for current members. You can explore more details about presenting and Association resources by visiting our 2024 Presenter Requirements page!

Pre-Conference Registration:

There are two NWSA Pre-Conferences which require registration: the Program Administration and Development (PAD) pre-conference and the Women’s Centers Committee (WC) Pre-Conference.  In order to attend either pre-conference, attendees will pay an additional $125 USD to register.  This rate is inclusive of the breakfast and lunch that will be provided. The last day to register for either of these pre-conferences is September 15th, 2024 in order to ensure accurate and inclusive catering qualities. Attendees for these pre-conference must also register for the general conference. 
 
If you are accepted to the Women of Color Leadership Project Pre-Conference your conference registration will be waived as part of your participation. Applicants to our 2024 Pedagogical Institute on Teaching Gender and Sexual Justice in Arab, Muslim and Palestinian Communities will receive follow up information upon acceptance into the cohort in early Fall 2024.

We’re excited to share more details as pre-conference planning comes together!

Register for the Annual Conference 

Exhibiting and Sponsorship Packages

The National Women's Studies Association invites organizations, businesses, and institutions that align with our mission to advertise, exhibit, and sponsor at the NWSA Annual Conference. Interested partners can purchase an exhibitor/sponsorship package below.

Annually, our conference brings over 1,800 feminists, academics, activists, local leaders, and organizers to the city we are in. Our program book and online program website are utilized consistently throughout the day by our conference attendees, and our exhibit hall is one of our main attractions (other than our 500+ sessions on the latest feminist scholarship)!!

View our exhibitor and sponsorship information packet below to see what package will benefit you! Please don't hesitate to reach out to nwsa@nwsa.org with any questions. 

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Register for the Annual Conference

NWSA Staff highly encourages attendees to register in advance for the 44th Annual Conference. Members and non-member can register below! 

Register Here

Book your room at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center

Members and Non-Members are able to book their room in our room block at a reduced rate!!

Book Here

Our 2024 Conference Committees

There are a number of committees available for members to join as volunteers.

This includes our Local Committee - comprised of members who are physically local to our conference site and those who have extensive knowledge or ties to our site (for example, being born and raised in Detroit or Michigan). These committee members help foster relationships to local vendors, identify potential programming partners, and provide insight on how to amplify the rich histories and legacy of activism specific to our site.

Our Proposal Review Committee brings together 25+ members to review submission proposals for the 2024 Annual Conference in line with the conference theme and sub-themes and advises the Association on how we may best group individual proposals for the 2024 Annual Conference program.

The Cornfield by Vito Valdez; photography credit: Visit Detroit

About Waawiyatanong

Detroit, Michigan USA resides on the occupied ancestral lands of the Ojibwe, Ottawa, and Potawatomi, who are the Anishinaabe nations who make up the Council of Three Fires.

In 2019, the Detroit Indigenous Peoples Alliance passed a resolution in the City Council to rename Detroit “Waawiyatanong,” which is “a word that articulates Detroit to the water”. The NWSA is excited and dedicated to meaningful engagement of the history and contemporary activism of Indigenous peoples in Waawiyatanong; we look forward to sharing more resources as we move forward.

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Have a Question?

Please explore our 2024 Annual Conference Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page to learn more about our ongoing and expanding accessibility commitments, support services (such as childcare needs), and more! As we collaborate with our Detroit-based vendors and liaisons, we will update our resources accordingly.

Learn More