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==Further reading==
==Further reading==
*{{Citation | last=Rupp | first=Leila J. | title=Transnational Women's Movements | journal=[[European History Online]] | publisher=[[Institute of European History]] | location=Mainz | year=2011 | url=http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0159-2011051243 }}
*{{Citation | last=Rupp | first=Leila J. | title=Transnational Women's Movements | journal=[[European History Online]] | publisher=[[Institute of European History]] | location=Mainz | year=2011 | url=http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0159-2011051243 }}
*[http://calmarchive.londonmet.ac.uk/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=Overview.tcl&dsqSearch=(RefNo='2IAW') Archives of International Alliance of Women] are held at [[The Women's Library]] at [[London Metropolitan University]]
*[http://twl-calm.library.lse.ac.uk/CalmView/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=Overview.tcl&dsqSearch=(RefNo='2IAW') Archives of International Alliance of Women] are held at [[The Women's Library]] at the [http://www.lse.ac.uk/library/Home.aspx Library of the London School of Economics]
*[http://www.womenalliance.org/pdf/IAWCentenaryEdition19042004webversion.pdf International Alliance of Women 1904-2004]
*[http://www.womenalliance.org/pdf/IAWCentenaryEdition19042004webversion.pdf International Alliance of Women 1904-2004]


Revision as of 12:44, 16 July 2013

International Alliance of Women
Alliance Internationale des Femmes
Formation1904
FounderCarrie Chapman Catt
TypeINGO
PurposePolitical advocacy
HeadquartersNew York City
Membership
Over 50 organizations world-wide
Official language
English and French
President
Lyda Verstegen
Secretary-General
Lene Pind
AffiliationsGeneral Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, Participatory Status with the Council of Europe
Websitewomenalliance.org

The International Alliance of Women (IAW) (French: Alliance Internationale des Femmes, AIF) is an international non-governmental organization that works to promote women's human rights around the world. The basic principle of the IAW is that the full and equal enjoyment of human rights is due to all women and girls. It is one of the oldest, largest and most influential international women's rights lobby groups. The organization was founded in 1904 in Berlin by Carrie Chapman Catt, Millicent Fawcett and other leading feminists to campaign for women's suffrage. Originally named the International Woman Suffrage Alliance, it was the preeminent international women's suffrage organization. Today it represents over 50 organizations world-wide representing several hundred thousand members as well as individual members.

From 1926, the organization had strong ties to the League of Nations. Since 1947, the IAW has had general consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the highest UN status possible for a non-governmental organization, the 4th organization to be granted this status. The IAW also has participatory status with the Council of Europe. It has representatives at the UN headquarters in New York, the UN office in Geneva, the UN office in Vienna, UNESCO in Paris, the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. It also has representatives to the Arab League in Cairo and the Gulf Countries Council in Riyadh, and is an influential member of the European Women's Lobby in Brussels. Its President and Chief Representative to the United Nations is Lyda Verstegen. Its official working languages are English and French.

History

Co-founder and Vice President, Dame Millicent Fawcett

The decision for the establishment of the organization was taken in Washington in 1902 by suffragists frustrated at the reluctance of the International Council of Women to support women's suffrage.[1] The Alliance was formally constituted in Berlin in 1904 as the International Woman Suffrage Alliance (IWSA), and was headquartered in London.[2] Amongst subsequent congresses were those held in Copenhagen (1906), Amsterdam (1908), London (1909), Stockholm (June 1911), and Budapest (1913). The IWSA also started its own monthly journal, the Jus Suffragii. The IWSA, influenced by Millicent Fawcett against the militancy of suffragettes in the style of Emily Pankhurst, initially refused membership to the WSPU at their 1906 Copenhagen meeting.[3]

In the late 1920s the organization changed its name to the International Alliance of Women for Suffrage and Equal Citizenship, and in 1946 this was altered to its current name, International Alliance of Women.[4][5]

The first Executive Board included Carrie Chapman Catt (President), Anita Augspurg (1st Vice President), Millicent Fawcett (2nd Vice President) and Rachel Foster Avery (Secretary).

The organization's first President Carrie Chapman Catt also founded the League of Women Voters in the United States during her presidency.

The organization's traditional colour, used to symbolize women's rights and women's suffrage, is yellow.

Organization

The IAW's first President Carrie Chapman Catt

An International Congress is held triennially in the home country of a member organization, and elects the Executive Board. The current President and Chief Representative to the United Nations is Lyda Verstegen. The Executive Board also includes the Secretary-General, the Treasurer and until 20 other members, including two Executive Vice Presidents and Regional Vice Presidents for Europe, the Arab Countries, the Gulf States, and South Asia.

Presidents

  1. Carrie Chapman Catt (USA) 1904–1923
  2. Dame Margery Corbett Ashby (UK) 1923–1946
  3. Hanna Rydh (Sweden) 1946–1952
  4. Ester Graff (Denmark) 1952–1958
  5. Ezlynn Deraniyagala (Sri Lanka) 1958–1964
  6. Begum Anwar Ahmed (Pakistan) 1964–1970
  7. Edith Anrep (Sweden) 1970–1973
  8. Irène de Lipkowski (France) 1973–1979
  9. Olive Bloomer (UK) 1979–1989
  10. Alice Yotopoulos-Marangopoulos (Greece) 1989–1996
  11. Patricia Giles (Australia) 1996–2004
  12. Rosy Weiss (Austria) 2004–2010
  13. Lyda Verstegen (The Netherlands) 2010–

Current status

The IAW represents more than 50 organizations world-wide and has attracted many individual members. The IAW was granted general consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the highest level possible, in 1947,[6] and has participatory status with the Council of Europe.[7] The IAW has permanent representatives in New York, Vienna, Geneva, Paris, Rome, Nairobi and Strasbourg and addresses the European Union through its membership in the European Women’s Lobby[8] in Brussels.

The IAW pays particular attention to the universal ratification and implementation without reservation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and its Optional Protocol. The current IAW Commissions deal with the topics: Justice and Human Rights; Democracy; Peace; Elimination of Violence and Health.

Members

See also

References

  1. ^ Jill Liddington, The Long Road to Greenham, 1989, p. 37
  2. ^ Liddington, p. 56
  3. ^ Liddington, p. 63
  4. ^ The International Alliance of Women Records, 1906-2004
  5. ^ Janet K. Boles, Diane Long Hoeveler (2004). Historical Dictionary of Feminism. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-4946-1 p.21 [1]
  6. ^ ECOSOC NGO database
  7. ^ CoE List of participatory NGOs
  8. ^ EWL member organizations

Further reading

  • Rupp, Leila J. (2011), "Transnational Women's Movements", European History Online, Mainz: Institute of European History
  • Archives of International Alliance of Women are held at The Women's Library at the Library of the London School of Economics
  • International Alliance of Women 1904-2004

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=International_Alliance_of_Women&oldid=564500592"