Terracotta statuette of a woman holding a baby, 2nd-1st century BCE, Myrina. Met Museum 74.51.1729.
Welcome to the website of The Women’s Classical Caucus (WCC)!
We invite you to tour our pages, check out our upcoming events, and become a member of our vibrant community.
The WCC is one of the longest-serving affiliate organizations of the Society for Classical Studies, the principal society in North America for the study of ancient Greek and Roman languages, literatures, and civilizations.
Founded in 1972, the mission of the WCC is to promote gender-informed perspectives in the study and teaching of all aspects of ancient Mediterranean cultures, particularly in the study of women, gender, and intersectionality in classical antiquity.
Additionally, we support scholars from all genders and from historically underrepresented groups (including women, non-binary identified, people of color, trans people, first-generation students, people with disabilities, etc.) so they can thrive as scholars and full human beings in the field of Classics and in their pursuit of knowledge about the ancient Mediterranean world. To that end, the WCC seeks to create a community that supports the well-being of its members through programs and professional development opportunities related to research, teaching, service, and advocacy.
We seek to incorporate feminist and gender-informed perspectives in the study and teaching of all aspects of ancient Mediterranean cultures, particularly the study of women in classical antiquity.
Submit your nominations for this year’s WCC Advocacy and Paper Prizes!
These awards recognize scholars, leaders, and mentors in the field whose work supports or reflects the missions of the WCC. Nominations are due on July 1, 2025.
Nominations are open for the following awards and prizes:
Scholarly awards:
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To be given for an article or book chapter published in the three calendar years prior to the nominating year (e.g. 2015, 2016, 2017 papers are eligible for the 2018-19 award cycle)
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To be given for an unpublished, oral paper by a pre-PhD scholar presented at a major conference in the year prior to 30 June of the nominating year
Advocacy awards:
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To be given to an individual for outstanding contribution in encouraging and supporting scholars from underrepresented groups, particularly women, to enter and remain in our field
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To be given to an individual for their embodiment of the WCC ideal of "radical mentoring," as practiced by Sharon L. James, in their mentorship of others in the field of Classics. Click here for a full description of this award and criteria for submission.
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For an institution that has taken measures to improve equality and diversity in our field, and whose culture (vis-à-vis the WCC’s mission) is a model for other institutions.
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This work should address feminist concerns (for instance, social hegemonies, adjunct labor, racist/sexist/ableist appropriations of Classical antiquity), or any other concerns related to marginalized groups in the field of Classics. The award will be for the public contributions of an individual scholar, rather than an individual piece. Work eligible for this award should be geared toward non-specialist audiences and should not be the type of scholarly work that would typically be included in a promotion file. Examples include blog posts, articles in non-academic publications, op-eds, theatrical productions, and work with television/film/radio productions. Work eligible for the other WCC Advocacy awards would not be eligible for this prize.
For more information about each award, including eligibility criteria and nomination procedures, please visit the Awards & Prizes page.
Self-nominations are welcome. You do not have to be a member of the WCC to submit nominations (or to be nominated) for any of these awards! You are also welcome to submit nominations for multiple awards.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at wccelectionsofficer@gmail.com.
Introducing the Hardship Fund
The Hardship Fund supports US-based classicists, at any stage of the profession, in need of financial support for an emergency that is not a professional expenditure. Applicants do not have to be current members of the SCS or WCC but do need to be currently active scholars, teachers, or students who study the ancient Mediterranean world.
Welcome to the Winter 2024-2025 edition of Cloelia, the WCC’s quarterly newsletter devoted to keeping our membership up-to-date on the latest activities and initiatives of the Women’s Classical Caucus (WCC). We are currently preparing for the 2025 annual meeting of the SCS-AIA in the new year, anticipating the ever-popular WCC/LCC/COGSIP reception among several other events. We also look back at our Fall events, from conferencing to mental health. You’ll also find information on an exciting new virtual conference scheduled for February.
Events and Announcements
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Abstracts 101
Abstracts 101 is for anyone who wants to learn about this unique genre of writing in the context of CFPs for conferences. The facilitators and panelists will give an overview of conference abstracts and discuss how to approach abstract writing, the elements of a successful conference abstract, and tips for those reviewing abstracts in response to a CFP.
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WCC/TIC Reading Group "The Third Sex in Antiquity: Intersections of Trans Studies and Classics"
The Women’s Classical Caucus and Trans in Classics invite you to participate in a jointly hosted Reading Group on Wednesday, July 16 4:00-5:00 PM EST
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WCC/LCC Prize Winners Reading Group
The Women’s Classical Caucus and Lambda Classical Caucus invite you to participate in a jointly hosted Reading Group featuring the 2024-25 paper prize winners. We will meet virtually to discuss these two articles on Wednesday 12 June 4:00-5:30 PM ET.
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Women’s History Month Reading Group
Thank you to everyone who voted in our Women’s History Month reading group poll! We’re thrilled to announce that the winner is….
🎉 Can an Object Love?: A Philological Essay on Female Subjectivity" by Ellen Söderblom Saarela (2023)! 🎉
WCC at 50: Celebrating our Community
In 2022, the WCC celebrated fifty years of feminist scholarship, service, advocacy, and activism. We kicked off the year-long celebrations at the 2022 AIA/SCS. Here’s what we did:
WCC at 50 webpage: Visit our page featuring resources and interviews with WCC founders, leaders, and members (check out the preview video)
SCS Blog Post: Read our story and how we have grown, changed, and supported our community
WCC Events at the 2022 AIA/SCS
WCC Members Video Montage Preview