This weekend there are two atheist meetings dealing with women’s issues in places thousands of miles apart.  One is a small one day event in Kochi, Kerala in India on Sunday while the other is the more star studded three day 4th Women in Secularism conference in Arlington, VA near Washington DC.

Here is the schedule of Women in Secularism Conference.

SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 ▾
Registration opens at 11:00am.

1:00pm – 1:15pm
Opening Remarks

1:15pm – 2:00pm
Melanie Brewster
Why There Are Fewer Atheist Women (And Other Fun Gender-Based Speculation from Folks in Ivory Towers)

2:00pm – 2:45pm
Ashley F. Miller
Class and the Secular Movement: Why Class Matters

2:45pm – 3:00pm
Break

3:00pm – 3:45pm
Linda LaScola
When Women Are “Caught in the Pulpit”

3:45pm – 4:30pm
Maryam Namazie
Women’s Resistance to Islamism in the Age of ISIS

4:30pm – 5:00pm
Break

5:00pm – 6:30pm
Women in Secular Leadership
Moderator: Debbie Goddard, Panel: Robyn Blumner, Sarah Haider, Annie Laurie Gaylor, Rebecca Hale, Hypatia Alexandria

6:30pm – 7:30pm
Break

7:30pm – 9:30pm
Reception

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 ▾
9:00am – 10:30am
Women and Science
Moderator: Yvette d’Entremont, Panel: Emily Willingham, Kavin Senapathy, Janet Stemwedel, Kaberi Kar Gupta

10:30am – 10:50am
Break

10:50am – 11:35am
Gulalai Ismail

11:35am – 12:00pm
Annie Laurie Gaylor
From Feminist to Freethought Founder: The Legacy of Anne Nicol Gaylor

12:00pm – 1:45pm
Lunch (on your own)

1:45pm – 2:30pm
Wendy Kaminer
Secular Feminism, Liberty, and Social Justice

2:30pm – 2:50pm
Break

2:50pm – 3:35pm
On What Matters: Rebecca Goldstein and Lindsay Beyerstein in Conversation

3:35pm – 4:20pm
Soraya Chemaly

4:20pm – 4:50pm
Break

4:50pm – 6:20pm
Free Expression and Safe Spaces: How do we balance free expression with other concerns?
Moderator: Ashley F. Miller, Panel: Maryam Namazie, Melanie Brewster, Diane Burkholder, Sarah Haider

6:20pm – 7:30pm
Break

7:30pm – 9:30pm
Dinner
with special guest Shelley Segal, accompanied by Andrew Robertson

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 ▾
9:00am – 10:30pm
Secular Women in Other Movements
Panel: Kaberi Kar Gupta, Kayley Whalen, Diane Burkholder, Hypatia Alexander

10:30am – 10:45am
Break

10:45am – 11:30am
Katha Pollitt in Conversation with Lindsay Beyerstein

11:30am – 12:15pm
Bonya Ahmed

12:15pm – 12:30pm
Closing Remarks

I will be taking part along with my wife Beena in Kochi event titled Patriarchy and Freethought. Here is the schedule.

10 AM – 11: 15 AM:

‘Feminism- what the “Oracles” fail to see’ by Dr. Arun N.M.

11: 30 AM – 12 Noon:
‘The Patriarchal Cyberspace’ by Haritha Thampi

12 Noon – 1 PM
‘From Kitchen to Mainstream- the Strenuous Path’ by Anupama Anamangad

2 PM – 3:30 PM
‘Patriachy and the Idea of Indian Enlightenment’ by Dr. Viswanathan C.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
‘Working Towards a More GenderJust Society’ by Dr. Beena Kayallore

4: 30 PM – 5:30 PM
Open Forum

All are welcome.