Perhaps you already know us for our triennial meeting, The Berkshire Conference on the History of Women (“The Big Berks”) Launched in 1973, it is now the largest gathering of its kind in the world.

Members are invited to our annual retreats, where many scholars begin their relationship to the organization in an atmosphere designed to promote friendship, relaxation, and networking. Feel free to click around our site to read more about our history, our governance structure, our prizes and our committees. We hope that when you learn more about us you will want to join at the level that is comfortable for you.

Big Berks 2020 Virtual Conference

While we cannot be together at Johns Hopkins University, the spirit of the Big Berks 2020 persists. To nurture our remarkable community until we can gather together again, we are happy to share a small taste of the program. Join us when you can! Some events are happening live at the designated times. Others can be enjoyed at your convenience. Learn more >

Big Berks 2020 Cancelled

Thank you for your patience as we weighed the difficult decision about the status of the Big Berks 2020 Conference. With great regret we must announce that the 2020 meeting of the Berkshire Conference of Women, Genders and Sexualities (the Big Berks,) scheduled for May 28-31, 2020, at Johns Hopkins University has been cancelled. After extensive deliberations, the officers and trustees agreed that in light of the profound uncertainty and very real health risks related to COVID-19, and in light of our host university’s announcement about the suspension of sponsored events until further notice, it is not possible to meet as planned. Read more >>