2022 Annual Meeting Highlight: Oklahoma Politics and Women’s Rights Forum

Thursday, October 13, 12:30 pm–1:30 pm

Chair: Autumn Brown (Oklahoma Oral History Research Program)

Sam Robertson
Rachel E. Watson (Citizen Potawatomi Nation)

Oklahoma has a complex history regarding women’s rights. With the highest per-capita rate of female incarceration in the country, an argument can be made that Oklahoma is one of the most punitive places for women in the United States. Recent attempts by the state legislature to ban abortion from the moment of conception, which the current governor vowed to sign, have brought Oklahoma national attention during a time when women’s reproductive health options are becoming more and more limited. Despite this often hostile environment, Oklahoma also has a long history of women’s activism and struggles for women’s rights. This one hour discussion will feature Oklahoma speakers from historians to activists to discuss both previous and current struggles for reproductive health, a more equitable legal system, civil and voting rights, and amelioration of female and child poverty. The national news focuses on what is being done to women in Oklahoma without covering the long tradition of women’s activism in Oklahoma. This event will be followed by a decompression session in the same room, 1:30-2:30.

Sponsored by the AFS Local Planning Committee and the Women’s Section.

Learn more on the Annual Meeting Hub.