Activist and former Planned Parenthood president and CEO Faye Wattleton will deliver the keynote address for the 50th anniversary celebration of UMass Dartmouth’s Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality.

It is the second-oldest women’s collegiate center in the country.

The event will take place on Wednesday, March 18 at 6 p.m. in Woodland Commons.

“Our 50th anniversary is a celebration of our roots as a radical referral center at a time when access to even birth control was limited to only married women,” said Dr. Juli Parker, director of the Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality and assistant dean of students. “We are excited to welcome Faye Wattleton, who has played such a critical role in advancing women’s and reproductive rights and shares our mission for social change.”

The keynote address will focus on preserving the legacy of women’s health and liberty.

Wattleton’s career spans more than four decades. She was the youngest and longest-tenured president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the nation’s oldest and largest reproductive services provider. Currently, Wattleton serves on boards of directors of public and private corporations, academic institutions, and high-impact philanthropic organizations.

The Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality was founded in 1970 as the Women’s Referral Center, offering contraceptive and abortion rights advocacy and education before the 1973 decision of Roe vs. Wade. 

Today, the Center is a voice for women and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community, with the purpose of eliminating barriers, diminishing prejudices, and creating a supportive climate and space for all. Its mission is to offer resources and support on LGBTQ and women’s issues. In addition, the Center coordinates campus initiatives to prevent sexual assault and intimate partner violence. 

Proceeds from the event will support the Center and its annual high school LGBTQ Youth Symposium.

Tickets are $100 per person or $750 for a table of eight, and are available at alumni2. umassd.edu/cwgs50. For more information, contact Mitch Berube at (508) 910-6567 or mberube@umassd.edu.