The Institute for Women’s Studies at the University of Georgia is hosting its sixth conference on Women and Girls in Georgia Oct. 9-10 in the Zell B. Miller Learning Center.

The theme of this year’s conference is sustainability. Presentation topics throughout the conference will explore the intersections of social, economic and environmental challenges as they relate to women and girls in the state, including environmental justice, local food, food insecurity, climate change, environmental health, recycling and conserving on college campuses and protecting Georgia’s honeybee population.

The Women and Girls in Georgia Conference was established in 2007 to highlight and encourage cutting-edge research and advocacy by, for and about women and girls in Georgia, in all their diversity. The conference brings together leading researchers, teachers, activists and community members to share expertise, strengthen networks and strategize for positive social change in Georgia and beyond. It seeks to stimulate questions about the status and concerns of women and girls in the state that will generate influential research and bring that research to the attention of policymakers and activists across the state and region.

This year’s conference will include an opening-night keynote lecture by Carolyn Sachs, professor of rural sociology and head of the women’s studies department at Pennsylvania State University. Her lecture on “Gender Networking for Environmental Sustainability: From the Local to the Global” will be Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Lauret Savoy, professor of environmental studies at Mount Holyoke College, will present Oct. 10’s keynote address on “Sustainability of the Heart: Restor(y)ing the Land and a Life.”

The conference will also feature workshops facilitated by the Georgia State Botanical Garden and Georgia WAND, a film screening of eXXpedition followed by a Q&A session with Jenna Jambeck, an associate professor of environmental engineering, and a plenary roundtable discussion on “Women’s Leadership in Georgia’s Environmental Movements: Current Work and Opportunities,” focusing on the significance of women’s leadership in Georgia’s environmental advocacy, activism, outreach and education. Panelists will include Makara Rumley, Jacqueline Echols, Suki Janssen, Cassandra Johnson Gaither and others.

The conference is open to academics, advocates, activists, students and community members. The cost is $45 for academics and professionals, $25 for community members and $10 for students. Registration closes Oct. 1. The full conference program and registration information can be found online at http://wagg.uga.edu or by calling 706-542-2846.