About Sociologists for Women in Society
Feminist Sociology for a More Just World
Sociologists for Women in Society is an international and intergenerational community of feminist sociologists. Our members include students, educators, researchers, applied sociologists, practitioners, and advocates working in universities, schools, nonprofit organizations, public institutions, community settings, and other professional fields.
Inclusive of all genders and sexualities, SWS brings people together to strengthen feminist scholarship, support one another across career stages and professional paths, and use sociological knowledge to challenge inequality and contribute to social change.
What We Do
SWS supports a community that connects rigorous scholarship with teaching, mentoring, professional development, advocacy, and public engagement.
Advance Feminist Knowledge
We promote research and teaching that deepen understanding of gender and its intersections with race, class, sexuality, disability, nationality, and other structures of inequality. SWS is the home of Gender & Society, a leading journal in sociology and women’s and gender studies.
Support People and Careers
We provide mentoring, professional development, awards, leadership opportunities, and career resources for feminist sociologists working across academic and applied settings and at every career stage.
Build Community
Through conferences, committees, circles, mentoring relationships, and other programs, SWS creates spaces for connection, collaboration, intellectual exchange, mutual support, and belonging.
Connect Scholarship with Social Change
We support members in bringing feminist sociological knowledge into classrooms, organizations, public conversations, policy discussions, advocacy, and community action.
Our Vision
To ensure all feminist sociologists can confidently contribute to building just and inclusive societies everywhere.
Our Purpose
SWS is an intergenerational, international, and racially and ethnically diverse community of feminist sociologists, inclusive of all genders and sexualities. Acknowledging that professional and societal challenges are often structural and cultural, we are committed to transforming sociology and society by promoting our members’ feminist scholarship, teaching, activism, and leadership.
We use our sociological expertise to challenge oppressive systems and injustices as we work to create an inclusive and equitable society.
Our Values
Dignity · Belonging · Community · Empathy · Leadership · Mentoring ·
Advancing Feminist Scholarship · Uplifting Feminist Voices · Reciprocity · Collaboration ·
Academic Freedom · Cultural Humility · Equity · Justice · Intersectionality ·
Transnational Solidarity · Honesty · Accountability · Coalition Building ·
Inclusivity · Respect · Diversity
Meet Our Executive Director
María Alejandra Cárdenas Cerón joined SWS as Executive Director in July 2026. A Colombian human rights lawyer, feminist advocate, and nonprofit leader, Alejandra brings more than twenty years of experience advancing gender and reproductive justice through research, legal advocacy, organizational leadership, institutional strengthening, and international human rights work.
As Executive Director, Alejandra leads SWS’s operations and organizational development under the strategic direction and oversight of the SWS Council.
Her work focuses on building the foundation feminist sociological knowledge and communities need to thrive, improving the member experience, strengthening opportunities for participation, and helping connect members’ expertise with practitioners, advocates, policymakers, movements, and the broader public.
Alejandra believes that lasting social change requires strong institutions, meaningful collaboration, and a clear understanding of how power operates in people’s everyday lives.
Contact the Executive Office at contact@socwomen.org
Our History
SWS grew out of the Women’s Caucus formed within the American Sociological Association in 1969. The sociologists who organized the caucus challenged discrimination within the profession and called for women’s experiences to be represented in sociological research, teaching, hiring, leadership, and professional life.
In 1971, the caucus became Sociologists for Women in Society. From the beginning, SWS combined two commitments: improving opportunities and conditions for women within sociology and using sociological knowledge to examine and transform gender arrangements in society. In 1987, SWS began publishing Gender & Society, which has become a leading journal for research on gender and gendered processes.
Over more than five decades, SWS has continued to evolve alongside feminist scholarship and movements for justice. Today, its community brings intersectional, transnational, and interdisciplinary perspectives to the study of gender while supporting feminist sociologists working across academic, applied, public, and community settings.
Our Recent Renewal
Beginning in 2024, SWS undertook an extensive, member-led rebuilding process to strengthen the Association’s governance, leadership, decision-making, transparency, and organizational culture. The process also responded to serious concerns about the experiences of members with racially marginalized identities and the need for more equitable and accountable institutional practices.
Formed through a nomination process that included self-nominations, the SWS Rebuilding Committee brought together members with varied experiences and perspectives. Over approximately sixteen months, the committee worked with the broader membership to recommend changes to SWS’s bylaws, leadership structures, and decision-making processes and to develop a restorative approach for addressing conflict and harm.
This work produced the renewed vision, purpose, and values that guide SWS today. It also reaffirmed something central to the organization’s identity: SWS is sustained by members willing to contribute their knowledge, labor, care, and imagination to building a stronger feminist sociological community.
What We Are Building Now
SWS is continuing to strengthen the foundation from which our community can grow, contribute, and have greater impact. We are also exploring new ways to connect feminist sociological knowledge with public conversations, policy, advocacy, education, and community action. This is a period of organizational strengthening so members can shape the next chapter of SWS while ensuring that the Association remains a trusted home for feminist sociology and a valuable partner to those working for gender justice.
Find Your Place in SWS
Whether you are beginning your studies, advancing an established career, working beyond the academy, returning after time away, or looking for a community that connects feminist knowledge with action, there is a place for you in SWS.