In collaboration with the Emerging Assisted Reproductive Markets in Southern Africa project (Monash University, University of the Witwatersrand and University of Amsterdam), the Re-imagining Reproduction project co-organised the ‘Re-worlding Reproduction: Navigating Emerging Knowledge, Politics, and Justice’ conference held on 16 – 19 September 2024 at Future Africa, University of Pretoria.

Drawing inspiration from Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni’s (2023) call to begin “re-worlding” knowledge from the perspective of the Global South, the conference aimed to reimagine the landscape of reproductive health and rights through a decolonial lens. An international cohort of academics, postgraduate students and advocates from various academic fields gathered to challenge dominant narratives in biomedicine and health policy around topics such as infertility, female genital mutilation (FGM), obstetric violence, assisted reproductive technologies, reproductive rights and ethics, caregiving and abortion. Central to this endeavour was the commitment to foreground approaches that emphasise justice, equity and local knowledge systems.

The three-day conference featured several presentations, a book launch event, a film screening, a conference dinner and keynote speeches by Dr Angela Akol (Director, IPAS Africa Alliance), Prof. Dana-Ain Davis (Director of the Centre for the Study of Women and Society, City University of New York), Prof. Trudie Gerrits (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Amsterdam) and Dr. Wisal Ahmed (Global Coordinator, FGM Trust Fund). The conversations that took place during the conference, both across disciplines and across geographies, were a significant step towards decolonizing global knowledge production and practice in the field of reproductive health.