2013 Conference

Our 27th annual conference, From Abortion Rights to Social Justice: Building the Movement for Reproductive Freedom, took place April 12-14, 2013, at Hampshire College. Over a thousand activists, students, academics, and professionals from 132 campuses and 260 organizations came for a weekend of workshops, performances, networking, and conversations.

The conference began on Friday afternoon with workshops. Sessions included Disability Justice, Accessibility, and Movement Building; Birth Work for Activists; Imagining Family; and Rural and Red State Perspectives on Reproductive Justice, among others.

After dinner, the Robert Crown Center was filled with people ready to hear and support personal accounts of abortions. Breaking Silences: An Abortion Speak Out provided a safe space for people with experiences of abortion to share their stories in a space intended to honor and support them. Read more about the Abortion Speak Out on PopDev’s Black Sheep Journal.  

On Saturday morning, 20 activists and performers used words, song, and performance to share their visions for reproductive justice in Speaking Out for Reproductive Freedom, the opening plenary. Watch videos of these powerful plenary presentations.

Throughout the weekend, 182 speakers offered a total of 80 workshops and panels. Food Justice; Queering Reproductive Justice; Living and Thriving Positive; New Horizons in Reproductive Politics; and Resisting the Right were just a few of the sessions.

The conference concluded with Sunday’s plenary, Towards Justice: Building Power and Solidarity Locally, Nationally, and Globally. Speakers engaged in a discussion about how we can bridge local activism with broader national and international struggles for reproductive freedom, economic justice, and bodily autonomy. Check back soon for video from the closing plenary!

What People Are Saying…

“I am graduating in May and this has inspired me to translate/transform my student organizing into community organizing.”

“The conference inspired me to bring an intersectional lens to my work on more issues.”

“This event has been an incredible opportunity to connect with others.”

Numerous bloggers documented the weekend. Check out the conference blogroll for post-conference conversations and reflection.

Thank You

We're very grateful for the support of our generous sponsors and the Hampshire community. The CLPP student group devoted countless hours, boundless energy, passion, and humor to make the conference run smoothly. Student group committee chairs coordinated the speak out, accessibility, childcare, entertainment, hospitality, outreach, and transportation. All conference speakers donated their time and energy, which is a huge contribution to building the movement for reproductive freedom!