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The following represents a selection of notable events from the first
eighty years of the International Federation. The list is by no means
complete, as the space is insufficient to begin even to cite briefly all
the important meetings, studies and projects, much less to position them
in the historical context in which they occurred. Those interested in
a more comprehensive overview should consult A Lamp of Friendship,
the history of IFUW from 1918 to 1968 written by Edith C. Batho, and the
Bluebooks (previously called Reports or Bulletins) which have recorded
Conferences, Councils, Regional Meetings and other information about the
Federation since 1920.
- Dean Virginia Gildersleeve of Barnard
College (USA), Professor Caroline Spurgeon of the University of London
and Rose Sidgwick of the University of Birmingham (England) launch the
idea of creating an international federation of university women to
help prevent another catastrophe such as the recent war in Europe
- University women from the United States, Great Britain and Canada
meet in London and on 11 July pass a resolution founding the International
Federation of University Women
The first international fellowship is established in
memory of Rose Sidgwick, who died during a flu epidemic before she could
see her dream realized.
- The First IFUW Conference assembles in London, with delegates from
organized groups in Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Great Britain, Italy,
the Netherlands, Spain and the United States, as well as representatives
from forming groups in Belgium, Denmark, India, Norway, South Africa
and Sweden.
The International Headquarters is fixed in London.
- The Third Conference creates a Foundation for Fellowships – its goal
to raise one million dollars to assist women in their research and studies
Also created is a Committee on Intellectual Cooperation
charged with working in close cooperation with the League of Nations.
- The Committee on the Legal and Economic Status of Women is established
and given the task of conducting an international investigation into
the status of married women.
The Council Meeting in Budapest, concerned by reports
of the growing exclusion of Jewish women from certain organizations,
revises the IFUW Constitution to state that "No federation or
association shall be admitted or retained as a member of IFUW which
debars qualified women from membership by reason of their race, religion
or political opinions".
- The Italian Association (FILDIS) becomes the first IFUW affiliate
to be "invited to dissolve spontaneously" by a fascist
regime.
- The Council Meeting in London establishes the Committee for the Emergency
Assistance of University Women, to assist university women deprived
of the right to work and, in many cases, even to live in their native
country.
- The Eighth Conference in Stockholm is the last time for years that
representatives from Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and
Yugoslavia are to take part in IFUW activities. The Conference reaffirms
strongly that the "purpose of this organization shall be to promote
understanding and friendship between the university women of the nations
of the world, irrespective of their race, religion, or political opinions…"
Within a month of the end of the Conference, as the
Second World War spreads across Europe, the newly elected president
Lektor S. Adamowicz of Poland is no longer able to carry out her functions;
before nine months have passed, the Second Vice President is cut off
from all communications in Belgium and the Third Vice-President is absorbed
by relief work in Switzerland.
As one of the rare bright notes, IFUW publishes its
International Glossary of Academic Terms, the first work of its kind
to address questions of comparative lengths and requirements of degree
courses in different countries.
- For the next five years the running of IFUW rests upon acting President
Dr Karin Kock, the British Treasurer and Executive Secretary and former
Presidents, Professors Spurgeon and Cullis and Dean Gildersleeve.
- The first "regional" Conference is held in Havana, attended
by representatives of North, Central and South America.
- A Wartime Management Committee is created, which will funciton until
the end of the War.
- After a gap of seven years, a fully representative IFUW Council meets
in London to receive news from the liberated countries. Reports abound
of martyrs and heroines, members sent to prison and concentration camps,
succour given to Jews – whether members or not , active help provided
to civilian refugees and Allied prisoners of war, and participation
in various resistance movements.
The Committee for Emergency Assistance and the Committee
for the Relief of War Victims merge to create the IFUW Relief Committee,
its mandate to assist work with the estimated 10,000 displaced university
women in refugee camps.
A few of the associations in Central and Eastern
Europe attempt to reactivate; Czechoslovakia and Hungary re-affiliate
briefly, but no news is received from either group or from Poland
after 1948. Associations in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had earlier
been dissolved in 1940.
- IFUW is granted the right to send accredited observers to all organs
of the United Nations and is given official consultative status with
the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC).
- IFUW is granted consultative status with the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- IFUW begins regular distribution of an annual newsletter to inform
national affiliates of the International Federation’s Activities.
- IFUW conducts an international study on Professional Women and Part-time
work.
- IFUW, under contract to UNESCO conducts a special enquiry into the
Access of Women to Higher Education. The report, ready in 1958, is the
first of a series of reports submitted to the United Nations Commission
on the Status of Women. The others include a report and analysis on
the Minimum Pensionable Age for Women Workers (1958); a special report
on Opportunities for Women as Jurists, Architects and Engineers (1959),
a report on Part-time Work (1962), prepared at the request of the International
Labour Office. Other reports underway include one on matrimonial property,
one on vocational information and counselling, and another on discrimination
against women on the basis of marital status.
- IFUW accepts special contract from UNESCO to prepare a study on the
contribution of the progress of women’s education to social and economic
development during the preceding forty years. The next year IFUW completes
a study on the Occupational Outlook for Mature women that is submitted
to the ILO in 1964 and to the Commission on the Status of Women in 1965.
IFUW completes studies on the Access of Girls and Women
to Education and Society and a Survey of the Position of the Woman Graduate
today.
- IFUW celebrates its Jubilee at the Sixteenth Conference in Karlsruhe,
Germany. The Conference resolves to publicize the newly adopted United
Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
and encourages its national affiliates to translate the Declaration
into their own languages and to take measures to make the general pubic
aware of the important principles embodied in the Declaration.
- A small group of IFUW members establishes the Virginia Gildersleeve
Fund for Women, a charitable and educational fund designed to support
projects world-wide focusing on women’s educational activities, leadership
training and community development.
- A regional meeting on "Literacy – Means of Education" is
held in Istanbul, Turkey under the auspices of the Turkish Ministry
of Labour, UNESCO and IFUW. Another regional meeting in Utrecht, The
Netherlands, explores the role of communication in the mutual understanding
of European nations.
IFUW Headquarters moves to Geneva, Switzerland.
IFUW is one of 113 national and international NGOs
to sign a statement pledging firm support for constructive development
programmes.
- IFUW representatives take part in the World Conference of the International
Women’s Year, held in Mexico City.
The IFUW Counterpart Aid Programme (now known as the
Bina Roy Partners in Development Programme) is established
- Regional Workshop in Sri Lanka focuses on the Participation of University
Women in Integrating Women and Children in the Development Process.
IFUW Circum-Pacific Conference draws participants from 20 countries
on the theme "Toward a Better Tomorrow". Latin American Regional
Meeting looks at The Interaction of Men and Women at the Professional,
Social and Family Levels.
- IFUW joins the Associated Country Women of the World, the International
Council of Women, the International Federation of Business and Professional
Women and Soroptimist International in creating Project Five-O, to cooperate
in national level community development projects. The first Five-O Project
gets underway the next year in Calcutta, India at the initiative of
IFUW.
First formal meeting of the University Women of Europe
is held
- IFUW adds new category of independent membership, making it possible
for women living in countries where there was not yet an IFUW national
federation or association to join.
- IFUW awards grant to IFUW for an International Survey on the Qualitative
and Quantitative Representation of Women in Higher Education Research,
Educational Planning, Administration and Management.
Asian Regional Seminar held on "Women and Technology
– Planning Towards 2000".
- Funding received from UNESCO for Seminar on the Role of Educated Women
in Combating Illiteracy among Women, held in Bangladesh, and a Seminar
on Women and the Mass Media, held in Thailand.
- The University Women of Asia (UWA) is founded.
- IFUW representatives participate in the 10th Session of the United
Nations Commission on Human Settlements and the related NGO Forum in
Nairobi, Kenya.
- IFUW takes part in the Planning Committee for the NGO Conference on
Human Rights, Paris.
IFUW Board visits China at invitation of the All
China Women's Federation.
- IFUW Special Committee on Projects is established.
- IFUW launches an Organizational Development Programme to provide training
in organizational management and leadership skills. The first seminar
is held in conjunction with the Council in Geneva.
The Council also has the pleasure of welcoming the
first of the newly re-established groups from the former member countries
of Bulgaria, Poland and Romania, as well as a new group from Zambia.
IFUW sets up an Environment and Development Network
to prepare input for the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, to help assure that women would be included on the agenda.
The Network Members organize a special Symposium on Environmental Education
and develop a Green Audit, which all national affiliates are urged to
complete.
The Federation of University Women of Africa (FUWA)
is formed.
- The Twenty-fourth IFUW Conference held in Stanford, California is
the largest ever, with over 1700 participants taking part from throughout
the world. The surge in growth continues, with new affiliates admitted
from Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Lithuania, Mexico, Nepal and Russia.
The first IFUW regional Organizational Development
Seminar is held in Estonia to provide leadership training for representatives
from IFUW affiliates and other women’s and children’s NGOs in Estonia,
Latvia and Lithuania.
IFUW Representatives take part in the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), better known as the
Earth Summit.
- A second Baltic regional seminar is held in Lithuania, followed by
a ten-day workshop on Leadership, Organizational and Programme Devvelopment
for Women Leaders in Zimbabwe.
After being involved in the preparatory work, IFUW
participates actively in the World Conference on Human Rights and the
Golbal Forum of NGOs. Along with others in the women’s caucus, IFUW
is instrumental in getting recommendations on women included in the
Vienna Declaration.
Joint UNESCO/IFUW book, Women in Higher Education
Management is published.
- The Council in Geneva celebrates the 75th Anniversary of
IFUW’s founding. The special two-day programme features workshops on
Capacity Building and on the Girl Child, as well as a public panel presentation
on "Women in Leadership Positions – Breaking the Glass Ceiling".
IFUW representatives take part in the International
Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in September.
IFUW takes the initiative in forming an NGO coalition
on the Girl Child.
Regional organizational development seminars are held
in Australia and Sri Lanka.
- Training Workshop for Young Leaders held in conjunction with the
27th IFUW Conference in Yokohama, Japan.
An IFUW delegation of over one hundred members take
part in the 4th World Conference on Women and NGO Forum held in Beijing,
China, where they offer workshops and take an active role in working
for the adoption of the Beijing Platform of Action.
UNESCO/IFUW Seminar on Higher Education and Women:
Discrimination, Access and the University Curriculum presented in
Yokohama and Beijing.
IFUW representatives attend and are involved in the
preparatory processes for the World Summit for Social Development.
IFUW publishes Planning for Change: A Handbook
for Training Workshop Leaders in Organizational Development and Strategic
Planning
- Another large IFUW delegation takes part in Habitat II in Istanbul,
Turkey, where IFUW's national affiliate has had a key role in arranging
NGO activities for the participants from around the world.
Joint UNESCO/IFUW book Women and the University
Curriculum: Towards Equality, Democracy and Peace is published.
- IFUW participates in 5th UNESCO-NGO Collective Consultation on Higher
Education, helping to organize Round Table on Women Graduates and the
Labour Market.
- Base Camp 2001, a special leadership training workshop in project
and organizational development is held in conjunction with the 26th
IFUW Conference in Graz, Austria.
IFUW is represented at regional prepatory meetings
in Dakar, Tokyo, Palermo, Beirut and Toronto and convenes a thematic
debate on Women, Higher Education and Development during the UNESCO
World Conference on Higher Education in Paris.
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IFUW
1919-2000
