Browse Organizations
Displaying 1 - 25 of 196
Name |
Description | Founding year | Works by | Works about | Works to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Women's Christian Association of the United States of America | During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), named after a similar men’s organization, was organized largely by middle-class white women in cities around the nati... During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), named after a similar men’s organization, was organized largely by middle-class white women in cities around the nation who built Association boarding houses, training schools, and day nurseries to protect and provide services for single women in cities. In more recent decades the YWCA has continued a wide range of activities including shelter for women and children and support for women’s reproductive rights. Show more Show less | 1858 | 21 | 298 | 57 |
| World's Young Women's Christian Association | The World Young Women’s Christian Association, or the World YWCA (WYWCA), began as a Christian organization focused on missionary goals. The Association held its first conference in London in 1898, bringing togeth... The World Young Women’s Christian Association, or the World YWCA (WYWCA), began as a Christian organization focused on missionary goals. The Association held its first conference in London in 1898, bringing together 326 participants from 17 countries. Jane Kinnaird and Emma Roberts, both of London, are considered its founders. In 1920 at Champèry, the organization redefined its purpose following the experiences of humanitarian relief during the First World War. As part of this transition, the World YWCA shifted its focus to peace efforts, like other international women’s organizations during this era. In addition to peace with justice, this organization takes on issues such as sexual and reproductive health, violence against women, women’s human rights, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability. Materials in the archive include conference proceedings, institutional publications, and manuscript material from women active in the organization. Show more Show less | 1890 | 47 | 209 | 1 |
| World's Anti-Slavery Convention : London, England | The British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society brought abolitionist societies together for the World’s Anti-Slavery Convention held in London in June 1840. The convention sought to create an international movement a... The British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society brought abolitionist societies together for the World’s Anti-Slavery Convention held in London in June 1840. The convention sought to create an international movement against slavery, uniting abolitionist organizations in Britain, Europe and the United States. Convention delegates immediately confronted the issue of whether to seat American women chosen by their organizations as delegates. Lucretia Mott and Sarah Pugh were two of the six American women delegates who were denied seats at the convention. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, recently married to abolitionist Henry Stanton, attended the meeting as a non-delegate. Affronted by the refusal of the convention to accept women delegates, Mott and Stanton became friends and went on to organize the 1848 Seneca Falls (N.Y.) Convention that launched a series of women’s rights conventions, many of which were attended by British and European women. Materials in this digital archive related to the 1840 convention include Mott’s diary, Mott’s letters and extensive correspondence between Sarah Pugh and British abolitionists. Also included are selections from the convention proceedings, and the proceedings of the 1940 Woman's Centennial Congress that marked the 100-year anniversary of the London event. Show more Show less | 1 | 104 | ||
| World Woman's Party | Alice Paul and the U.S. National Woman's Party established the World Woman's Party in 1938 to advance equal rights legislation for women at the international level, especially the Equal Rights Treaty. The WWP coordi... Alice Paul and the U.S. National Woman's Party established the World Woman's Party in 1938 to advance equal rights legislation for women at the international level, especially the Equal Rights Treaty. The WWP coordinated work with Equal Rights International (ERI) and other organizations with similar objectives. Women and Social Movements International includes manuscript materials from the National Woman's Party Records, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Show more Show less | 1938 | 10 | 17 | 1 |
| World Woman's Christian Temperance Union | The World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WWCTU) was founded by Frances Willard in 1883 at the 10th annual WCTU Convention in Detroit, Michigan. The WWCTU’s first convention was held in 1891 in Boston, a... The World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WWCTU) was founded by Frances Willard in 1883 at the 10th annual WCTU Convention in Detroit, Michigan. The WWCTU’s first convention was held in 1891 in Boston, and it united national groups that sought to remove alcohol and drugs (opium) from the world. Based in evangelical Christianity, the Union sent mission workers with an Anglo-American perspective to “foreign” places. As part of its interest in women’s issues, the WWCTU was a founding member of the International Council of Women, and it received status as a UN NGO in 1945. The organization’s 38th convention met in 2010. Materials include conference proceedings, institutional publications, and individual writings speaking to women’s experiences with the WWCTU. Show more Show less | 1883 | 38 | 56 | |
| Women's Trade Union League, United Kingdom | Established by social settlement reformers and working women in 1903, and active until 1955, with branches in New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia, the WTUL promoted unions of women workers in the garmen... Established by social settlement reformers and working women in 1903, and active until 1955, with branches in New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia, the WTUL promoted unions of women workers in the garment and other semi-skilled industries. WTUL prospered during and after the 1909-10 strike of more than 20,000 shirtwaist workers in New York City. The League's presence during the strike attracted many working women to the organization and by 1910 working women had taken over leadership of the League’s trade committees. Show more Show less | 1903 | 2 | 14 | |
| Women's Rights within the Anti-Slavery Movement | Historians have traditionally dated the beginning of the women’s rights movement to the 1840 London World Anti-Slavery Convention, where Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton first formulated the idea for a wom... Historians have traditionally dated the beginning of the women’s rights movement to the 1840 London World Anti-Slavery Convention, where Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton first formulated the idea for a woman’s rights convention. But the connections between anti-slavery and women’s rights flourished even before this meeting through the activism of Lucretia Mott, and Angelina and Sarah Grimke, leading anti-slavery advocates. Mott’s interest in women’s rights also predated her involvement in the anti-slavery movement, as she committed herself to women’s emancipation early on in her public career as a Quaker minister and reformer. Show more Show less | 1830 | 22 | ||
| Women's Peace Congress/International Congress of Women :Hague, Netherlands | Initiated by the Woman’s Peace Party (U.S.), the International Congress of Women at The Hague was chaired by Jane Addams. Over 1,000 women attended the Congress to protest World War I and work toward a mediated en... Initiated by the Woman’s Peace Party (U.S.), the International Congress of Women at The Hague was chaired by Jane Addams. Over 1,000 women attended the Congress to protest World War I and work toward a mediated end to the conflict. The Congress created the International Committee of Women for Permanent Peace (ICWPP), which sponsored the 1919 Second International Congress of Women in Zurich and founded the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). WASMI includes the proceedings of the 1915 Hague and 1919 Zurich Congresses as well as related documents of those attending the meetings, including Jane Addams, Emily Greene Balch, Aletta Jacobs, and Chrystal Macmillan. Show more Show less | 1915 | 1 | 27 | |
| Women's National Indian Association | 1879 | 143 | 155 | ||
| Women's Labor Movement, 19th and 20th Centuries | Working women first organized to strike and defend their interests in the cotton textile mills of New England in the 1830s and 40s. Women shoeworkers were prominent in the 1860 New England shoe strike as well. Women... Working women first organized to strike and defend their interests in the cotton textile mills of New England in the 1830s and 40s. Women shoeworkers were prominent in the 1860 New England shoe strike as well. Women’s factory employment expanded in the twentieth century and women participated in the 1909 New York City shirtwaist strike and the 1912 strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Women’s labor force participation expanded dramatically after World War II and women became increasingly active in labor unions, as exemplified by the creation of the Coalition of Labor Union Women in 1974. Show more Show less | 1830 | 2 | 23 | |
| Women's Joint Congressional Committee | Formed after the passage of the Woman Suffrage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, the Women’s Joint Congressional Congress (WJCC) coordinated the political goals of a wide variety of women’s organizatio... Formed after the passage of the Woman Suffrage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, the Women’s Joint Congressional Congress (WJCC) coordinated the political goals of a wide variety of women’s organizations. Affiliated with the League of Women Voters, the Women’s Trade Union League, the National Association of Colored Women, and other women’s organizations, the WJCC served as a lobbying clearinghouse for the political agendas of twelve million women. Their most successful effort was the passage of the Sheppard-Towner Maternity and Infancy Protection Act in 1921, in which Congress first allocated funds for human health. Attacks by hyper-patriots and business interests reduced the WJCC’s effectiveness after 1925. Show more Show less | 1920 | 1 | 4 | |
| Women's International Zionist Organization | Founded in London in 1920, the Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO) was formed as part of the Zionist movement to establish a Jewish nation in Palestine. Women created this group separately as a way t... Founded in London in 1920, the Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO) was formed as part of the Zionist movement to establish a Jewish nation in Palestine. Women created this group separately as a way to focus their efforts on education and health and social services for women and children in Palestine. Today, the organization promotes women’s and children’s welfare in Israel. The most recent WIZO conference was held in 2008 and had the theme "Investing in People for Israel's Future." WIZO materials available in this database include: minutes from conferences, descriptions of women leaders of WIZO, and reports on WIZO activities. Show more Show less | 1920 | 16 | 19 | |
| Women's International League for Peace and Freedom | The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) grew out of the International Congress of Women at The Hague, which brought together over 1,000 women in 1915 to work for a peaceful end to the war in... The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) grew out of the International Congress of Women at The Hague, which brought together over 1,000 women in 1915 to work for a peaceful end to the war in Europe. Women who attended this first conference and whose writings are included in this digital archive include Jane Addams, Emily Greene Balch, Aletta Jacobs, and Chrystal Macmillan. Over the years, WILPF protested chemical and biological warfare, worked towards World Disarmament, and worked with both the League of Nations and the United Nations. Today, WILPF continues to work with the UN as an NGO as well as with national and local governments and promotes peace through non-violent means. WILPF-related materials in this digital archive include congress proceedings, correspondence between WILPF leaders, and reports about national peace and women’s movements. Show more Show less | 1915 | 53 | 176 | 1 |
| Women's International Democratic Federation | The Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF) was founded in late 1945, at a Congress in Paris attended by more than 800 participants representing organizations from 40 countries. Anti-fascist in origin,... The Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF) was founded in late 1945, at a Congress in Paris attended by more than 800 participants representing organizations from 40 countries. Anti-fascist in origin, it sought to unite feminism and left politics and included many women who had been active in resistance movements during World War II. It received early consultative status with the United Nations, but Cold-War politics led to its exclusion from U.N. participation between 1954 and 1967. The WIDF was the originator of the call for International Women’s Year in 1975 and since its founding has promoted equal rights for women, self-determination and national independence, and the rights of children. It opposes all forms of violence including atomic weapons and has opposed U.S. imperial endeavors as well as colonialism more broadly. During the Cold War, the leading role of the Soviet Union in supporting the WIDF was used to discredit the feminism of the Federation, and the International Alliance of Women and the International Council of Women competed with the WIDF to attract support from the Global South. The materials in this digital archive include extensive conference proceedings and reports. Show more Show less | 1945 | 36 | 45 | |
| Women's Equity Action League | Elizabeth Boyer, an Ohio attorney, founded WEAL in 1968 to improve the status of women by focusing on legal and tax inequalities, and on discrimination in education and employment. WEAL explicitly distanced itself f... Elizabeth Boyer, an Ohio attorney, founded WEAL in 1968 to improve the status of women by focusing on legal and tax inequalities, and on discrimination in education and employment. WEAL explicitly distanced itself from more "radical" feminist organizations, such as NOW, that supported abortion and used picketing and demonstrations as key political tactics. With an emphasis on the economic and educational issues affecting women, WEAL challenged discriminatory employment ads, supported the Equal Rights Amendment, and litigated against sex discrimination at universities. Show more Show less | 1968 | 1 | 3 | |
| Women's Columbian Association | The Women's Columbian Association protested the limited participation of African Americans in organizational committees for the planning of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. | 1890 | 1 | ||
| Women's City Club of New York | Building on innovations of women like Lillian Wald in the field of women’s and infants’ public health, the Women’s City Club of New York (WCCNY) was founded in 1915. Since its founding the WCCNY has monitored... Building on innovations of women like Lillian Wald in the field of women’s and infants’ public health, the Women’s City Club of New York (WCCNY) was founded in 1915. Since its founding the WCCNY has monitored public policy and undertaken campaigns related to child health and sweatshops. Show more Show less | 1915 | 1 | 1 | |
| Women's Art Movement | During the 1970s at the height of the feminist movement, the Women's Art Movement began helping women artists create, exhibit, and frequently control the flow of their artwork, by utilizing alternative or cooperativ... During the 1970s at the height of the feminist movement, the Women's Art Movement began helping women artists create, exhibit, and frequently control the flow of their artwork, by utilizing alternative or cooperative spaces. Show more Show less | 1970 | 2 | 6 | |
| Women's Action Coalition | Formed in New York in 1992 as a direct-action protest group to advocate women’s rights, the Women’s Action Coalition (WAC) highlighted a range of issues including sexual assault against women and women’s under... Formed in New York in 1992 as a direct-action protest group to advocate women’s rights, the Women’s Action Coalition (WAC) highlighted a range of issues including sexual assault against women and women’s under-representation in the art world. WAC supporters numbered in the thousands, but internal divisions led to the group’s demise in 1995. Show more Show less | 1992 | 2 | ||
| Women on Waves | http://www.womenonwaves.orgEstablished in 1999 by Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, Women on Waves (WoW) is a Dutch non-profit organization that provides pro-choice options for women in countries with restrictive abortion laws.... http://www.womenonwaves.orgEstablished in 1999 by Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, Women on Waves (WoW) is a Dutch non-profit organization that provides pro-choice options for women in countries with restrictive abortion laws. On board a ship, the WoW visits countries and allows women to make appointments before sailing into international waters to provide the medical services legally. Documents in Women and Social Movements International relate to several voyages taken by WoW in the 2000s. Show more Show less | 1999 | 2 | 2 | |
| Women in Law and Development in Africa | Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) was founded in 1990 as a pan-African network to support legal strategies to increase the role of women in politics and in development in African nations. Its headquart... Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) was founded in 1990 as a pan-African network to support legal strategies to increase the role of women in politics and in development in African nations. Its headquarters are in Harare, Zimbabwe, and it coordinates the work of groups in over 30 countries. Women and Social Movements International includes several documents related to WiLDAF. Show more Show less | 1990 | 20 | ||
| Woman's Suffrage League of Japan | Ichikawa Fusae (also, Fusaye) founded the Woman’s Suffrage League of Japan in 1924, and she went on to serve as its president. The suffrage organization developed out of organizational efforts by Ichikawa and othe... Ichikawa Fusae (also, Fusaye) founded the Woman’s Suffrage League of Japan in 1924, and she went on to serve as its president. The suffrage organization developed out of organizational efforts by Ichikawa and others, who founded the New Women’s Federation in 1920. As the name suggests, the Suffrage League focused its efforts on gaining national suffrage and political rights for women. By 1938, organized women had been working with local governments, particularly on issues related to women and children. The Suffrage League created the English-language journal, Japanese Women, to teach the world about the Japanese feminist movement. With war measures after 1940, the Japanese government took over the organization, rendering it defunct. Show more Show less | 1924 | 16 | ||
| Woman's Rights Convention Movement, 1848-1869 | After the first woman’s rights convention in Seneca Falls in 1848, the movement for women's rights accelerated. In 1850 the first National Woman's Rights Convention was held in Worcester, Massachusetts and similar... After the first woman’s rights convention in Seneca Falls in 1848, the movement for women's rights accelerated. In 1850 the first National Woman's Rights Convention was held in Worcester, Massachusetts and similar conventions were soon held all over the United States continuing throughout the decade. At these conventions male abolitionist leaders, including Wendell Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, Theodore Parker and Thomas Wentworth Higginson, supported the movement while Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Stanton, the two women considered the organizers of the Seneca Falls convention, spoke at and attended many of these subsequent meetings. Show more Show less | 1848 | 52 | ||
| Woman's Peace Party | Founded in January 1915, after the outbreak of World War I, the Woman's Peace Party worked to control armaments and called for a mediated settlement to the war. Members traveled to The Hague in 1915 to meet with wom... Founded in January 1915, after the outbreak of World War I, the Woman's Peace Party worked to control armaments and called for a mediated settlement to the war. Members traveled to The Hague in 1915 to meet with women peace supporters from European nations (see the document project, "How Did Women Activists Promote Peace in Their 1915 Tour of Warring European Capitals?" also on this website). At the conclusion of the war, Woman's Peace Party members traveled to an international conference in Zurich to protest the punitive stance of the Versailles Treaty toward defeated Germany. The conference led to the formation of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (see below) and the Woman's Peace Party became the American Section of WILPF. Show more Show less | 1915 | 9 | 16 | |
| Woman's National Loyal League | Under the leadership of Stanton and Anthony, the League organized women in support of the Union cause during the Civil War. Supporting first a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery, the League kept up pressure... Under the leadership of Stanton and Anthony, the League organized women in support of the Union cause during the Civil War. Supporting first a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery, the League kept up pressure for reform by supporting calls for black and woman suffrage. After the conclusion of the war, the group gave way to the American Equal Rights Association (see above) which promoted these causes. Show more Show less | 1863 | 3 |
