2020 Red River Women's Studies Conference

When: Friday, October 23, 2020

Where: Online. See WGS event page for details.

This year's theme is "Imperfect History" to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, achieved final approval for all the states in the union. A century later, women are running for office, engaging in politics, and voting at higher rates than men. One hundred years after the ratification of the 19th Amendment, we have much to celebrate. However, not all women benefitted from ratification equally. Native American women finally earned U.S. citizenship rights in 1924 that provided voting rights; Chinese women immigrants received the right to vote in 1943, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 increased the opportunities for African American women to vote. Despite legislation, laws and policies continue to prevent all American women from voting.

This year our keynote speakers are Heidi Heitkamp and Heather Keeler. Heidi Heitkamp was the first woman from North Dakota elected to the U.S. Senate and served from 2013 to 2019. In 2020, she was selected by USA Today for North Dakota's "Women of the Century." Heather Keeler serves on the Fargo Native American Commission and the Moorhead Human Rights Commission. She is currently running for election to the Minnesota House of Representatives, District 4A.

For more information click here: WGS event page