On May 6 and 7, 2004, some 65 people—feminist, social justice, women's health, disability, and human rights activists; academics; writers; and others—met in New York City to work toward a framework for assessing new reproductive and genetic technologies from a social justice perspective.

Gender and Justice in the Gene Age: A Feminist Meeting on New Reproductive and Genetic Technologies was co-sponsored by the Committee on Women, Population and the Environment; Our Bodies Ourselves, and the Center for Genetics and Society.

This website is a record of the Gender and Justice in the Gene Age meeting. It contains:

• PROGRAM: descriptions of the meeting sessions
• PARTICIPANTS: background and contact information for each participant
• DOCUMENTS: articles, presentations, and other materials posted by participants
• REPORT: A thirty-two page report summarizing the meeting and key conclusions

WHY GENDER AND JUSTICE IN THE GENE AGE?

The Gender and Justice in the Gene Age meeting provided an opportunity to begin charting a path that simultaneously protects women's rights, health equity, and access to abortion, while it promotes responsible social governance of reproductive and genetic technologies. Participants came together with the hope of developing a strong feminist and social justice voice that calls for responsible social governance of these new technologies, and that effectively participates in the ongoing debates about them.

The meeting focused on reframing the debate about reproductive and genetic technologies to make it clear that strong support for abortion rights can and does co-exist with healthy skepticism about emerging technologies. It aimed to foster dialogue between feminist and disability rights communities, and between academics and activists; and to broaden recognition of the new and emerging reproductive and genetic technologies as key women's health and women's rights issues.

Gender and Justice in the Gene Age was the first U.S. meeting in many years to approach these issues from a perspective that prioritizes the values and commitments of feminists who work from a global social justice and human rights perspective.

See photos from the meeting.

For more information about the meeting itself, follow-up events, or other initiatives, please contact:

Marcy Darnovsky (Center for Genetics and Society)
mdarnovsky@genetics-and-society.org
phone: 510-625-0819, ext 305

Rajani Bhatia (Committee for Women, Population and the Environment)
rajani@cwpe.org
phone: 410-339-8875

Judy Norsigian (Our Bodies Ourselves)
judy@bwhbc.org
phone: 617-451-3666 ext 11

THANK YOU

We gratefully acknowledge the funders whose direct and in-kind support made Gender and Justice in the Gene Age possible: Appleton Foundation, CS Fund / Warsh-Mott Legacy, Ford Foundation, Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future, Ms. Foundation for Women, Public Welfare Foundation, and Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program.