SisterSong Conference

A national conference on Women of Color Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights organized by the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective was held November 13-16 at Spelman College, Women's Research & Resource Center in Atlanta, GA. The conference was organized to bring together women of color activists, providers, policymakers, allies, and men to discuss and develop strategies for improving the reproductive health of women of color in the United States.

This conference was significant because women of color have not come together in a national conference to discuss these issues since 1989. Because of the many social and scientific developments that have taken place, it was urgent that women of color come together to discuss the implications of these issues.

Over 800 women of color came together to develop analyses, agendas, and strategies for addressing our issues such as:

1. The lack of health care coverage for women of color;
2. The inadequate provision of governmental health care options for women of color and all low-income women (including the right to abortion);
3. The relationship between human rights and reproductive rights;
4. The lack of cultural competence in the health care system to effectively address the needs of women of color;
5. The failure of the mainstream abortion rights movement to address our concerns;
6. The promotion of right-wing strategies in our communities including abstinence-only sex education;
7. Population control strategies directed towards women of color; and
8. The role of men of color in working for reproductive health and sexual rights.

The conference was an exciting national opportunity to discuss these and other critical issues to ensure healthier communities of color in the United States.