INDIAN FEDERATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S ASSOCIATIONS

The Indian Federation of University Women's Associations (IFUWA) was founded on 24 July, 1920 and affiliated to the IFUW in 1921. In 1920 it was called Federation of University Women in India. Two organisations of university women were already in existence: The Association of British University Women in India, founded in 1913, with branches in Bombay, Calcutta and Lahore.

The Bombay Presidency Women Granduates Union, founded in 1915, with a branch in Poona Owing to the pioneering efforts of Cornelia Sorabji, branches were established in Kodaikanal, Madras and Calcutta between 1920 and 1929. After the partition of India, University Women's Associations of Delhi, Lucknow, Madras, Nagpur, Poona, Allahbad, Guntur and Calcutta were formed.

Today there are 12 University Women's Associations in IFUWA:

Bangalore: reddyp@vsnl.com
Mumbai/Bombay: wgu1915@bom2.vsnl.net.in
Calcutta: leeka@123india.com
Chennai/Madras: vhoon@vsnl.com
Chidambaram: rumma_shyamsunder@yahoo.com
Cochin: lypnayars@vsnl.com,
Coonoor: rumma_shyamsunder@yahoo.com
Dehradun: rns@nda.vsnl.net.in
Delhi: rumma_shyamsunder@yahoo.com or mina-singh@mantraonline.com
Nagpur: ladcollege@yahoo.co.uk
Pune: ramses@pn2.vsnl.net.in
Trivandrum: uwatvm@rediffmail.com

The Headquarters shift every three years now to the city of residence of the President of IFUWA. For 1999-2002 the President is Devyani Sircar.

India is a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation of University Women (SAARCFUW), comprising Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. India is also member of the University Women of Asia (UW of Asia), an affiliate of the IFUW, comprisinng asian nations, namely: Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The purpose of IFUWA is to bind together associations of women graduates of recognised universities in order to:

1. enable them to take concerted action
2. stimulate the interest of universities in civic and public life
3. facilitate academic endeavour and encourage independent research through scholarships
4. promote national and international cooperation, particularly on issues affecting women
5. welcome members of IFUW from other countries on their visit to India
6. provide links with IFUW, UNESCO and other UN and international agencies
7. attend IFUW Conferences held every three years in different parts of the world
8. and assist them in applying for international scholarships

After Miss Piloo Nanavatty attended the IX Triennial Conference of IFUW in Toronto, in 1947, interest grew in international participation and many Indian members began serving on IFUW Committees. In 1971, Dr Bina Roy became the first asian woman to be elected to the post of President of IFUW, at the XVII Triennial Conference in Philadelphia, USA. Prof. Chitra Ghosh, also of Calcutta, was elected President at the XXIV Triennial Conference in Stanford, USA, in 1992, for the term 1992-1995.

Programmes and Projects
The twelve affiliates of IFUWA are autonomous in matters of finance, management, and programmes aimed at improving the economic, political and social status of Indian women and girls.

Associations engage in programmes of many kinds: Non-formal education, teaching literacy skills, computer education, scholarships, workshops and seminars on important issues, legal literacy, human rights, security rights of girls and women, consumer awareness, rural development, national integration, care of the elderly, and fund-raising. India is also a member of Project 5-O and CEDAW. Hostels for working women have been built with government aid by the UWAs of Mumbai (Women Graduates Union of Bombay), Pune and Bangalore.

All UWAs work with other NGOs to further common aims. It is creditable that they have survived all these years entirely on voluntary donations, in time as well as money. The challenge for new members and associations is to increase membership, visibility and impact, and devise new projects to face the many challenges of globalisation.