Date: Nov. 14, 2025
Location: Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium, LBJ Presidential Library, Austin, TX
In 1975, as part of a rising movement for women’s equality, the United Nations declared International Women’s Year, designated March 8 as International Women's Day, and convened the first-ever World Conference on Women in Mexico City. This historic gathering brought together leaders from around the world and launched a series of global conferences held every five years — including the landmark 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women, which produced the most ambitious blueprint for advancing gender equity to date.
In 1975, the largest international women's year conference in the United States, the Women in Public Life Conference, was held by Lady Bird Johnson and her press secretary Liz Carpenter at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. With 2,000 attendees from around the world, including trailblazing speakers like U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan, Jill Ruckleshouse, and Gloria Steinem, the conference ignited a powerful conversation about women's leadership in public service.
Now, 50 years later, it's our turn to build on that legacy.
Join us in Austin for the 50th Anniversary Women in Public Life Symposium: A Bipartisan Path Forward — a solutions-driven convening that will honor the past while forging the future.
What has been the most significant change for women over the last 50 years? Women have entered the workforce like never before in human history — but representation in government and the policies shaping our world have failed to keep up. This symposium is not just a celebration; it is a call to action.
Through inspirational keynote speakers from both sides of the aisle, engaging panels with leading experts, and dynamic breakout discussions, we will chart a course toward lasting impact. Attendees will leave not just inspired, but equipped — with the tools, knowledge, and network to drive real change, whether by running for office, leading in their communities, or shaping policies that work for everyone.
This is more than an event — it is a pivotal moment. Be part of the next chapter. Save the date, spread the word, and get ready to make history.
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Nov. 14, 2025 | Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium, LBJ Presidential Library | Austin, TX