A three-day conference brings hundreds of college and high school students to Arlington, Va., for organizing, strategy sessions and advocacy on Capitol Hill.
Hundreds of student activists will gather in Washington, D.C., later this month for the 2026 National Young Feminist Leadership Conference, a three-day event focused on organizing, policy advocacy and building the next generation of feminist leaders. (There’s still time to register!)
Hosted by the Feminist Majority Foundation (publisher of Ms.), the conference will take place March 28-30 at the DoubleTree Crystal City in Arlington, Va., bringing together high school and college students from across the country.
The conference comes at a time when many young activists feel increasing urgency around issues ranging from reproductive rights to LGBTQ+ protections.
A Weekend of Organizing and Strategy
The first two days of the conference—Saturday and Sunday—will feature general assemblies, panels and workshops led by national speakers, policy experts and organizers.
Sessions will examine a range of issues facing feminist movements in the United States and globally, including protecting reproductive rights, securing the Equal Rights Amendment, combating gender apartheid in Afghanistan and expanding LGBTQ+ protections. The goal is to equip students with both political context and practical organizing skills.
Participants will learn about current feminist challenges while developing strategies to mobilize on their campuses and in their communities. The conference also emphasizes intergenerational organizing through the foundation’s Feminist Campus and Girls Learn International programs, which support student-led activism.
For many attendees, the experience of gathering with hundreds of other young activists is itself transformative. Being at a conference with hundreds of other young feminists is an indescribable feeling. It’s the recognition that we are part of something big—a community of dedicated students working for justice across the country and the world.
Advocacy on Capitol Hill
The final day of the conference shifts from training to direct advocacy.
On Monday, participants will travel to Capitol Hill for a congressional visit day, where students will meet with members of Congress and legislative staff from their home states and districts. The visits are designed to give attendees hands-on experience in lobbying lawmakers and advocating for feminist policy priorities.
Organizers describe the day as an opportunity for students to translate what they learn during the conference into direct political engagement. After learning about a range of feminist issues facing our country and communities, students take their knowledge, power and voices to the Hill.
The annual event has become a central gathering point for student activists within the broader feminist movement, drawing participants from campuses and communities nationwide for an action-packed weekend of training, connection and political strategy.
