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[[File:Gloria Steinem at news conference, Women's Action Alliance, January 12, 1972.jpg|thumb|[[Gloria Steinem]] at a Women's Action Alliance news conference on January 12, 1972]]
[[File:Gloria Steinem at news conference, Women's Action Alliance, January 12, 1972.jpg|thumb|[[Gloria Steinem]] at a Women's Action Alliance news conference on January 12, 1972]]
The '''Women's Action Alliance ("WAA" or "the Alliance")''' was a [[feminism|feminist]] organization in the [[United States]], which existed from 1971 until 1997.<ref name="WAAR">{{cite web|title=Women's Action Alliance Records, 1970-1996, Historical Note|url=http://asteria.fivecolleges.edu/findaids/sophiasmith/mnsss76_bioghist.html|work=Sophia Smith Collection|publisher=Smith College|accessdate=26 February 2013}}</ref> The organization was founded by [[Gloria Steinem]], [[Brenda Feigen|Brenda Feigen Fasteau]] and [[Dorothy Pitman Hughes|Dorothy Pitman-Hughes]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/177019477|title=Feminist coalitions : historical perspectives on second-wave feminism in the United States|date=2008|publisher=University of Illinois Press|others=Gilmore, Stephanie.|isbn=9780252075391|location=Urbana|oclc=177019477}}</ref> The board of directors of the WAA included several notable feminists such as [[Bella Abzug]] and [[Shirley Chisholm]].<ref name="WAAR" /> The WAA is notable for pioneering early [[battered women's shelter|battered women's shelters]].<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|last=Miller|first=Marla R.|title=Tracking the Women's Movement through the Women's Action Alliance|journal=Journal of Women's History|date=Summer 2002|volume=14|issue=2|pages=154–156|doi=10.1353/jowh.2002.0051|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/jowh/summary/v014/14.2miller.html}}</ref> The mission of the Women's Action Alliance was to assist local activists by providing technical, and communications support. The organization provided this support by linking feminist leaders with experts, and other organizations.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smith.edu/libraries/libs/ssc/agents/waalbrochure2.html|title=Sophia Smith Collection: Agents of Social Change Online Exhibit - Women's Action Alliance|website=www.smith.edu|access-date=2017-11-13}}</ref> The organization was dissolved in 1997 due to lack of funding.<ref name="WAAR" />
The '''Women's Action Alliance''' ('''WAA'''), or simply '''the Alliance''', was a [[feminism|feminist]] organization in the [[United States]] which was active from 1971 to 1997.<ref name="WAAR"/> It was founded by [[Gloria Steinem]], [[Brenda Feigen|Brenda Feigen Fasteau]] and [[Dorothy Pitman Hughes|Dorothy Pitman-Hughes]].<ref name="Gilmore"/> The board of directors of the WAA included several notable feminists such as [[Bella Abzug]] and [[Shirley Chisholm]].<ref name="WAAR"/> The WAA's mission was to assist local activists through technical and communications support and through them, to create change on a national scale.

The group created a network of feminist activists, coordinated resources, and led initiatives on a number of issues. The WAA helped to raise discussion for a national agenda of feminist legislation, developed strategies for countering gender stereotypes in developmental education, and helped open the first [[battered women's shelter|battered women's shelters]].<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|last=Miller|first=Marla R.|title=Tracking the Women's Movement through the Women's Action Alliance|journal=Journal of Women's History|date=Summer 2002|volume=14|issue=2|pages=154–156|doi=10.1353/jowh.2002.0051|s2cid=144115228|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/jowh/summary/v014/14.2miller.html}}</ref>

==History==
The Women's Action Alliance (WAA) was established in 1971 during the [[Feminist Movement in the United States]].<ref name="WAAR">{{cite web|title=Women's Action Alliance Records, 1970-1996, Historical Note|url=http://asteria.fivecolleges.edu/findaids/sophiasmith/mnsss76_bioghist.html|work=Sophia Smith Collection|publisher=Smith College|access-date=26 February 2013}}</ref> It was founded by [[Gloria Steinem]], [[Brenda Feigen|Brenda Feigen Fasteau]] and [[Dorothy Pitman Hughes]],<ref name="Gilmore">{{Cite book|title=Feminist coalitions : historical perspectives on second-wave feminism in the United States|date=2008|publisher=University of Illinois Press|others=Gilmore, Stephanie.|isbn=9780252075391|location=Urbana|oclc=177019477}}</ref> who combined their legacies in the civil rights movement to forge a network of activists dedicated to a vision of equality for all women. Its founding mission was to assist women by coordinating resources and bringing together individuals working at the grassroots level onto a broader national scale. Its founders intended to build on the previous success of the women's movement to effect further change in society's recognition and treatment of women. The WAA's goal was, according to the founders, to help the "large numbers of women who want to change their lot in life" by becoming a clearinghouse of women's information.

Gloria Steinem chaired the board from 1971 to 1978. Among many other contributions, the WAA helped to open the first [[battered women's shelter|battered women's shelters]]. The WAA was dissolved in 1997 due to lack of funding.<ref name="WAAR" /><ref name=":0">{{cite journal|last=Miller|first=Marla R.|title=Tracking the Women's Movement through the Women's Action Alliance|journal=Journal of Women's History|date=Summer 2002|volume=14|issue=2|pages=154–156|doi=10.1353/jowh.2002.0051|s2cid=144115228|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/jowh/summary/v014/14.2miller.html}}</ref>

== Initiatives ==
The WAA attempted to connect women who wanted to "change their lot in life" with community organizations and professionals interested in feminist causes. Many early correspondences to the WAA asked for referrals to organizations that assisted women. Some asked for recommendations for female or feminist professionals (psychologists, lawyers, doctors, etc.). Others requested information about starting local feminist organizations or chapters.<ref name=":0" /> Referrals provided in response to these requests to the WAA were gathered by individual women using their connections in the community to network, collect and disseminate information, and recommend professionals and organizations with which they had positive experiences.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smith.edu/libraries/libs/ssc/agents/waalbrochure2.html|title=Sophia Smith Collection: Agents of Social Change Online Exhibit - Women's Action Alliance|website=www.smith.edu|access-date=2017-11-13}}</ref>


== Women's Action Alliance's Initiatives ==
=== National Women's Agenda ===
=== National Women's Agenda ===
In January 1975, President [[Gerald Ford]] founded the [[National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year|National Commission on the Observance of International Women’s Year]], or the IWY Commission. This commission was tasked with "encouraging cooperative activity in the field of women's rights and responsibilities". Many groups including the [[National Organization for Women|National Organization for Women (NOW)]] were dissatisfied, and were concerned that the commission was too cautious. This led the Women's Action Alliance to create the National Women's Agenda.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=60460|title=Gerald R. Ford: Executive Order 11832 - Establishing a National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, 1975|website=www.presidency.ucsb.edu|access-date=2016-06-18}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/177019477|title=Feminist coalitions: historical perspectives on second-wave feminism in the United States|last=Harrison|first=Cynthia|date=2008|publisher=University of Illinois Press|others=Gilmore, Stephanie.|year=|isbn=9780252075391|location=Urbana|pages=19–47. "Creating a National Feminist Agenda; Coalition Building in the 1970s"|oclc=177019477}}</ref>
In January 1975, President [[Gerald Ford]] founded the [[National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year]], or the IWY Commission. This commission was tasked with "encouraging cooperative activity in the field of women's rights and responsibilities". Many groups including the [[National Organization for Women]] (NOW) were dissatisfied, and were concerned that the commission was too cautious. This led the WAA to create the National Women's Agenda (NWA), a national agenda for feminist legislation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=60460|title=Gerald R. Ford: Executive Order 11832 - Establishing a National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, 1975|website=www.presidency.ucsb.edu|access-date=2016-06-18}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite book|title=Feminist coalitions: historical perspectives on second-wave feminism in the United States|last=Harrison|first=Cynthia|date=2008|publisher=University of Illinois Press|others=Gilmore, Stephanie.|isbn=9780252075391|location=Urbana|pages=19–47. "Creating a National Feminist Agenda; Coalition Building in the 1970s"|oclc=177019477}}</ref>


The Women's Action Alliance built a coalition consisting of a number of organizations, including the [[National Women's Political Caucus]] (NWPC), the [[Girl Scouts of the USA|Girl Scouts]], the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women and the [[National Council of Negro Women]]. Specifically, the agenda called for fair representation in government and for the end to racial and cultural stereotyping. The coalition also called for the recognition of working women, women in poverty, and women affected by the criminal justice system.
The WAA consulted with many organizations, 70 of which responded by May 1975 and 24 ultimately participated in creating the NWA. It advocated for many different causes and problems women and marginalized peoples faced. The agenda called on fair representation in government and other areas, the end to racial and cultural stereotyping, recognition of working women and homemakers as workers, and advocated for the causes of women in poverty, women affected by the criminal justice system, and bodily autonomy and integrity.


In total, 94 women's groups and labor unions joined the coalition. Some of these organizations include: [[American Association of University Women]], [[National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs]], [[Planned Parenthood]], [[National Association of Social Workers]], [[Women's International League for Peace and Freedom]], [[National Coalition of American Nuns]], [[Women Strike for Peace]], [[YWCA|YWCA,]] [[Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America|Amalgamated Clothing Workers]], [[American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees|American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees]], [[National Organization for Women|NOW]], [[National Abortion Rights Action League]], [[National Women's Political Caucus|NWPC]], [[The Feminist Press|Feminist Press]], [[Women’s Legal Defense Fund|Women's Legal Defense Fund]], [[National Gay Task Force]], [[Lesbian Feminist Liberation]], [[Mattachine Society]] and [[National Congress of Neighborhood Women]].<ref name=":5" />
In total, 94{{inconsistent|date=July 2018|Please check this isn't just 24+70 from above, where the 24 are included in the 70.}} women's groups and labor unions joined the coalition. Some of these organizations include: [[American Association of University Women]], [[National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs]], [[Planned Parenthood]], [[National Association of Social Workers]], [[Women's International League for Peace and Freedom]], [[National Coalition of American Nuns]], [[Women Strike for Peace]], [[YWCA]], [[Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America|Amalgamated Clothing Workers]], [[American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees]], [[National Organization for Women]] (NOW), [[National Abortion Rights Action League]], [[National Women's Political Caucus]], [[The Feminist Press]], [[Women's Legal Defense Fund]], [[National Gay Task Force]], [[Lesbian Feminist Liberation]], [[Mattachine Society]] and [[National Congress of Neighborhood Women]].<ref name=":5" />


The National Women's Agenda was eventually overshadowed by the National Plan of Action, which was an agenda created by the National Women's Conference in Houston. The National Women's Agenda Project collapsed in 1980.<ref name=":5" />
The NWA was eventually overshadowed by the National Plan of Action (the Plan) created by the [[1977 National Women's Conference]] in Houston. The Houston plan had more "expansive" language and had more emphasis on minority women and abortion, while the NWA was more "terse" and had a clearer statement on welfare and health care. The National Women's Agenda Project collapsed in 1980.<ref name=":5" />


=== Non-Sexist Childhood Development Initiative ===
=== Non-Sexist Childhood Development Initiative ===
Women's Action Alliance began an initiative which was called the Non-Sexist Childhood Development Initiative. The initiative was designed to combat perceived sexism in preschools.This project was founded because of a number of letters that the Women's Action Alliance received. Many of these letters expressed concerns regarding sexism in preschools. The program received funding from a number of different foundations.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Sprung|first=Barbara|date=September 1977|title=Equality now! For boys and girls|url=http://web.a.ebscohost.com.turing.library.northwestern.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=c7be49e8-24cb-4ef7-8df1-b4b2645bc520%40sessionmgr4010&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=524089035&db=rgr|journal=Parents Magazine|volume=53|pages=44–48|via=EBSCOhost}}</ref>
The Non-Sexist Childhood Development Initiative was designed by the WAA to combat perceived sexism in preschools. The project was founded because of a number of letters the group received which expressed concerns regarding gender roles and gender conformity in preschools. The program received funding from a number of different foundations.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Sprung|first=Barbara|date=September 1977|title=Equality now! For boys and girls|url=http://web.a.ebscohost.com.turing.library.northwestern.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=c7be49e8-24cb-4ef7-8df1-b4b2645bc520%40sessionmgr4010&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=524089035&db=rgr|journal=Parents Magazine|volume=53|pages=44–48|via=EBSCOhost}}</ref>


To investigate "sex-role conditioning", The Women's Action Alliance set up programs to address sexism in preschools. In the fall of 1973, the initiative launched the program in four childhood education centers in New York.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=|first=|date=March 1973|title=Sex in preschools|url=https://search.library.northwestern.edu/primo-explore/openurl?genre=article&issn=00918555&title=Saturday%20Review%20of%20Education.&volume=1&issue=&date=19730401&atitle=Sex%20in%20the%20preschools.&spage=48&sid=EBSCO:rgr&pid=&vid=NULVNEW&institution=01NWU&url_ctx_val=&url_ctx_fmt=null&isSerivcesPage=true|journal=Saturday Review of Education|volume=1|pages=48|via=EBSCOhost}}</ref>
To investigate sex-role conditioning, the WAA created programs to address sexism in preschools. In the fall of 1973, the initiative launched the program in four childhood education centers in New York.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=March 1973|title=Sex in preschools|url=https://search.library.northwestern.edu/primo-explore/openurl?genre=article&issn=00918555&title=Saturday%20Review%20of%20Education.&volume=1&issue=&date=19730401&atitle=Sex%20in%20the%20preschools.&spage=48&sid=EBSCO:rgr&pid=&vid=NULVNEW&institution=01NWU&url_ctx_val=&url_ctx_fmt=null&isSerivcesPage=true|journal=Saturday Review of Education|volume=1|pages=48|via=EBSCOhost}}</ref>

The program focused on four main activities: Teachers and school staff were instructed on harmful stereotypes that were being taught, raising their awareness to recognize such issues. Parents were educated on how sex-role stereotyping was harmful. A curriculum was developed to help children understand that men and women do all kinds of work inside and outside the home. The program also developed non-sexist multi-racial learning materials, toys and books.<ref name=":1" /> The WAA also developed of a curriculum guide called ''Non-Sexist Education for Young Children: A Practical Guide''. This was the first non-sexist early education material for the classroom.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

In the 80s with increasing public attention to the role of technology in society, the focus shifted to computer and science education. The program was renamed the Gender Equity in Education Program. With funding from the National Science Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Apple, several nationwide projects were carried out that aimed to counteract girls' underrepresentation in computer and science classes in high school. The Computer Equity Training Project, working with computer teachers across the country, was the first such effort undertaken anywhere and increased girls' computer participation 144%. The Computer Equity Expert Project worked with university teacher educators in technology and science nationwide, and enabled thousands of new teachers to encourage girls in computer and science classes. These and other projects were led by Jo Sanders.


The initiative mainly focused on four main activities. The first was "In-Service teacher training". This implied providing education for teachers and school staff on the harmful lessons that were currently being taught. The second was called "Parent education". Here, the initiative helped parents identify which lessons were deemed harmful. The third was known as "Curriculum development", this was where the initiative worked to generate a curriculum to teach more appropriate lessons to children. Lastly, the initiative developed "non-sexist, multi-racial materials". This was done by creating learning materials which include diverse, non-sexist representations. This also applied to the toys and books which surrounded the children.<ref name=":1" />
=== Women's Alcohol and Drug Education Project ===
=== Women's Alcohol and Drug Education Project ===
In the 1970s, most substance rehabilitation and preventive programs were predominantly for white men with health insurance.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} The [[National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism]] (NIAAA) awarded 40 grants for treatment programs specifically for women. However, due to blocked state grants in 1981, the programs like the WAA's Women's Alcohol and Drug Education Project were not funded until the late 1980s.<ref name=":2" />
Established in 1987, the WAA's Women's Alcohol and Drug Education Project addressed the need for substance abuse help for women, specifically with regards to women of color and those in poverty.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/22510833|title=Alcohol and drugs are women's issues|date=1991|publisher=Women's Action Alliance|others=Roth, Paula., Women's Action Alliance.|isbn=0810823608|location=Metuchen, N.J.|oclc=22510833}}</ref> The project set up model programs in six women's centers across America, integrating an alcohol and drug component with the work being done with women at the facilities. Substance abuse was put in the context of women's issues, because it was believed that information regarding substance abuse wouldn't reach women in poverty.{{Citation needed|reason=The theory and methodology of the recovery process needs a citation|date=July 2018}}

Established in 1987, the WAA's Women's Alcohol and Drug Education Project addressed the need for substance abuse help for women, especially women of color and those in poverty.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/alcoholdrugsarew0002unse|title=Alcohol and drugs are women's issues|date=1991|publisher=Women's Action Alliance|others=Roth, Paula., Women's Action Alliance.|isbn=0810823608|location=Metuchen, N.J.|oclc=22510833|url-access=registration}}</ref> Paula Roth, director of the project in 1990, wrote ''Alcohol and Drugs Are Women's Issues''. Its two volumes aimed to start a new conversation about substance abuse affecting minority women and poor women and to highlight substance abuse by women as "critical women's issues".{{according to whom|date=July 2018}}

The project created model programs in six women's centers across the United States, integrating an alcohol and drug component with the work being done with women at the facilities. Prevention was made a priority in addition to intervention. Substance abuse was put in the context of women's issues, because it was believed that information regarding substance abuse wouldn't reach women in poverty.{{Citation needed|reason=The theory and methodology of the recovery process needs a citation|date=July 2018}}

=== ''Women's Action Almanac'' ===
In 1979, the WAA published ''Women's Action Almanac: A Complete Resource Guide''.<ref name=":4">{{cite book|title=Women's Action Almanac: A Complete Resource Guide|last=Women's Action Alliance, Inc.|publisher=William Morrow and Company, Inc.|year=1979|isbn=978-0688085254|editor-last=Williamson|editor-first=Jane|location=New York|publication-place=New York, New York|editor-last2=Winston|editor-first2=Diane|editor-last3=Wooten|editor-first3=Wanda}}</ref> It was a guidebook of women's issues and programs, organized by subject and included lists of women's organizations. The book was written and compiled by the WAA, and edited by Jane Williamson, Diane Winston and Wanda Wooten. The almanac was inspired by letters the WAA received seeking advice or information, demonstrating the need for a comprehensive directory of resources and services for women.<ref name=":4" />


=== Women's Action Almanac ===
=== Others ===
In response to positive feedback, the WAA created its Beginning Equal program, which was similar to the Non-Sexist Childhood Development Initiative. Other projects included Women With Non-Traditional Occupations and Children of Single Parents in the Schools. The WAA created a program called Computer Equity, which gathered data used to encourage girls to become more comfortable with technology.<ref name=":0" /> Later programs, like the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention project, branched out into healthcare and gathered data and information by surveying the agencies included.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}
In 1979, the WAA published ''Women's Action Almanac: A Complete Resource Guide''. The book discussed women's issues and programs, was organized by subject, and included lists of women's organizations. The book was written and compiled by the WAA, and edited by Jane Williamson, Diane Winston and Wanda Wooten. The sections gave a summary of the "prevailing feminist perspective," background information, importance and status and current data followed by relevant women's organizations (national and local, if applicable) and ending with appropriate resources. The almanac also served as a comprehensive directory of resources and services for women. Its primary goal was to "provide answers to questions on women's issues and program," through its catalog of subject matter and its directory.<ref name=":4">{{cite book|title=Women's Action Almanac: A Complete Resource Guide|last=Women's Action Alliance, Inc.|first=|publisher=William Morrow and Company, Inc.|year=1979|isbn=978-0688085254|editor-last=Williamson|editor-first=Jane|location=New York|publication-place=New York, New York|pages=|editor-last2=Winston|editor-first2=Diane|editor-last3=Wooten|editor-first3=Wanda}}</ref>


== The Sophia Smith Collection of WAA archives ==
=== Other Initiatives ===
In response to positive feedback, the WAA created a program called "Beginning Equal", which was similar to the Non-Sexist Childhood Development Initiative. Other projects included "Women With Non-Traditional Occupations" and "Children of Single Parents in the Schools". The WAA created a program called "Computer Equity". The research gleaned from this project was used to encourage girls to become more comfortable with technology.<ref name=":0" /> Later programs, like the "Teenage Pregnancy Prevention" project branched out into healthcare and gathered data and information about teen pregnancy by surveying the agencies that served this demographic.


The WAA received a large number of letters and generated a large amount of correspondence. There are 117.25 feet of records (over 300 boxes) located at the [[Sophia Smith Collection]] in [[Northampton, Massachusetts|Northampton]], [[Massachusetts]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://asteria.fivecolleges.edu/findaids/sophiasmith/mnsss76_main.html|title=Women's Action Alliance Records, 1970-1996|website=Five College Archives & Manuscript Collections}}</ref> This is the collection's largest processed archive to date.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Miller|first=Marla R.|date=2002-07-01|title=Tracking the Women's Movement through the Women's Action Alliance|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/17461|journal=Journal of Women's History|volume=14|issue=2|pages=154–156|doi=10.1353/jowh.2002.0051|s2cid=144115228|issn=1527-2036}}</ref> The letters document the history of the organization from its inception until its disbandment.<ref name=":3" />
== The Sophia Smith Collection of Women's Action Alliance Archives ==
The Women's Action Alliance received a large number of letters, and generated a large amount of correspondence. There are 117.25 feet of records located at the [[Sophia Smith Collection]] in [[Northampton, Massachusetts|Northampton]], [[Massachusetts]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://asteria.fivecolleges.edu/findaids/sophiasmith/mnsss76_main.html|title=Women's Action Alliance Records, 1970-1996|last=|first=|date=|website=Five College Archives & Manuscript Collections|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> This Collection is the "largest processed collection" to date.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Miller|first=Marla R.|date=2002-07-01|title=Tracking the Women's Movement through the Women's Action Alliance|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/17461|journal=Journal of Women's History|volume=14|issue=2|pages=154–156|doi=10.1353/jowh.2002.0051|issn=1527-2036}}</ref> The letters document the history of the organization from its inception until its disbandment.<ref name=":3" />


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 15:31, 3 July 2024

Gloria Steinem at a Women's Action Alliance news conference on January 12, 1972

The Women's Action Alliance (WAA), or simply the Alliance, was a feminist organization in the United States which was active from 1971 to 1997.[1] It was founded by Gloria Steinem, Brenda Feigen Fasteau and Dorothy Pitman-Hughes.[2] The board of directors of the WAA included several notable feminists such as Bella Abzug and Shirley Chisholm.[1] The WAA's mission was to assist local activists through technical and communications support and through them, to create change on a national scale.

The group created a network of feminist activists, coordinated resources, and led initiatives on a number of issues. The WAA helped to raise discussion for a national agenda of feminist legislation, developed strategies for countering gender stereotypes in developmental education, and helped open the first battered women's shelters.[3]

History

[edit]

The Women's Action Alliance (WAA) was established in 1971 during the Feminist Movement in the United States.[1] It was founded by Gloria Steinem, Brenda Feigen Fasteau and Dorothy Pitman Hughes,[2] who combined their legacies in the civil rights movement to forge a network of activists dedicated to a vision of equality for all women. Its founding mission was to assist women by coordinating resources and bringing together individuals working at the grassroots level onto a broader national scale. Its founders intended to build on the previous success of the women's movement to effect further change in society's recognition and treatment of women. The WAA's goal was, according to the founders, to help the "large numbers of women who want to change their lot in life" by becoming a clearinghouse of women's information.

Gloria Steinem chaired the board from 1971 to 1978. Among many other contributions, the WAA helped to open the first battered women's shelters. The WAA was dissolved in 1997 due to lack of funding.[1][3]

Initiatives

[edit]

The WAA attempted to connect women who wanted to "change their lot in life" with community organizations and professionals interested in feminist causes. Many early correspondences to the WAA asked for referrals to organizations that assisted women. Some asked for recommendations for female or feminist professionals (psychologists, lawyers, doctors, etc.). Others requested information about starting local feminist organizations or chapters.[3] Referrals provided in response to these requests to the WAA were gathered by individual women using their connections in the community to network, collect and disseminate information, and recommend professionals and organizations with which they had positive experiences.[4]

National Women's Agenda

[edit]

In January 1975, President Gerald Ford founded the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, or the IWY Commission. This commission was tasked with "encouraging cooperative activity in the field of women's rights and responsibilities". Many groups including the National Organization for Women (NOW) were dissatisfied, and were concerned that the commission was too cautious. This led the WAA to create the National Women's Agenda (NWA), a national agenda for feminist legislation.[5][6]

The WAA consulted with many organizations, 70 of which responded by May 1975 and 24 ultimately participated in creating the NWA. It advocated for many different causes and problems women and marginalized peoples faced. The agenda called on fair representation in government and other areas, the end to racial and cultural stereotyping, recognition of working women and homemakers as workers, and advocated for the causes of women in poverty, women affected by the criminal justice system, and bodily autonomy and integrity.

In total, 94[inconsistent] women's groups and labor unions joined the coalition. Some of these organizations include: American Association of University Women, National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Planned Parenthood, National Association of Social Workers, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, National Coalition of American Nuns, Women Strike for Peace, YWCA, Amalgamated Clothing Workers, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, National Organization for Women (NOW), National Abortion Rights Action League, National Women's Political Caucus, The Feminist Press, Women's Legal Defense Fund, National Gay Task Force, Lesbian Feminist Liberation, Mattachine Society and National Congress of Neighborhood Women.[6]

The NWA was eventually overshadowed by the National Plan of Action (the Plan) created by the 1977 National Women's Conference in Houston. The Houston plan had more "expansive" language and had more emphasis on minority women and abortion, while the NWA was more "terse" and had a clearer statement on welfare and health care. The National Women's Agenda Project collapsed in 1980.[6]

Non-Sexist Childhood Development Initiative

[edit]

The Non-Sexist Childhood Development Initiative was designed by the WAA to combat perceived sexism in preschools. The project was founded because of a number of letters the group received which expressed concerns regarding gender roles and gender conformity in preschools. The program received funding from a number of different foundations.[7]

To investigate sex-role conditioning, the WAA created programs to address sexism in preschools. In the fall of 1973, the initiative launched the program in four childhood education centers in New York.[8]

The program focused on four main activities: Teachers and school staff were instructed on harmful stereotypes that were being taught, raising their awareness to recognize such issues. Parents were educated on how sex-role stereotyping was harmful. A curriculum was developed to help children understand that men and women do all kinds of work inside and outside the home. The program also developed non-sexist multi-racial learning materials, toys and books.[7] The WAA also developed of a curriculum guide called Non-Sexist Education for Young Children: A Practical Guide. This was the first non-sexist early education material for the classroom.[citation needed]

In the 80s with increasing public attention to the role of technology in society, the focus shifted to computer and science education. The program was renamed the Gender Equity in Education Program. With funding from the National Science Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Apple, several nationwide projects were carried out that aimed to counteract girls' underrepresentation in computer and science classes in high school. The Computer Equity Training Project, working with computer teachers across the country, was the first such effort undertaken anywhere and increased girls' computer participation 144%. The Computer Equity Expert Project worked with university teacher educators in technology and science nationwide, and enabled thousands of new teachers to encourage girls in computer and science classes. These and other projects were led by Jo Sanders.

Women's Alcohol and Drug Education Project

[edit]

In the 1970s, most substance rehabilitation and preventive programs were predominantly for white men with health insurance.[citation needed] The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) awarded 40 grants for treatment programs specifically for women. However, due to blocked state grants in 1981, the programs like the WAA's Women's Alcohol and Drug Education Project were not funded until the late 1980s.[9]

Established in 1987, the WAA's Women's Alcohol and Drug Education Project addressed the need for substance abuse help for women, especially women of color and those in poverty.[9] Paula Roth, director of the project in 1990, wrote Alcohol and Drugs Are Women's Issues. Its two volumes aimed to start a new conversation about substance abuse affecting minority women and poor women and to highlight substance abuse by women as "critical women's issues".[according to whom?]

The project created model programs in six women's centers across the United States, integrating an alcohol and drug component with the work being done with women at the facilities. Prevention was made a priority in addition to intervention. Substance abuse was put in the context of women's issues, because it was believed that information regarding substance abuse wouldn't reach women in poverty.[citation needed]

Women's Action Almanac

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In 1979, the WAA published Women's Action Almanac: A Complete Resource Guide.[10] It was a guidebook of women's issues and programs, organized by subject and included lists of women's organizations. The book was written and compiled by the WAA, and edited by Jane Williamson, Diane Winston and Wanda Wooten. The almanac was inspired by letters the WAA received seeking advice or information, demonstrating the need for a comprehensive directory of resources and services for women.[10]

Others

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In response to positive feedback, the WAA created its Beginning Equal program, which was similar to the Non-Sexist Childhood Development Initiative. Other projects included Women With Non-Traditional Occupations and Children of Single Parents in the Schools. The WAA created a program called Computer Equity, which gathered data used to encourage girls to become more comfortable with technology.[3] Later programs, like the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention project, branched out into healthcare and gathered data and information by surveying the agencies included.[citation needed]

The Sophia Smith Collection of WAA archives

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The WAA received a large number of letters and generated a large amount of correspondence. There are 117.25 feet of records (over 300 boxes) located at the Sophia Smith Collection in Northampton, Massachusetts.[11] This is the collection's largest processed archive to date.[12] The letters document the history of the organization from its inception until its disbandment.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Women's Action Alliance Records, 1970-1996, Historical Note". Sophia Smith Collection. Smith College. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  2. ^ a b Feminist coalitions : historical perspectives on second-wave feminism in the United States. Gilmore, Stephanie. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. 2008. ISBN 9780252075391. OCLC 177019477.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ^ a b c d Miller, Marla R. (Summer 2002). "Tracking the Women's Movement through the Women's Action Alliance". Journal of Women's History. 14 (2): 154–156. doi:10.1353/jowh.2002.0051. S2CID 144115228.
  4. ^ "Sophia Smith Collection: Agents of Social Change Online Exhibit - Women's Action Alliance". www.smith.edu. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  5. ^ "Gerald R. Ford: Executive Order 11832 - Establishing a National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, 1975". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  6. ^ a b c Harrison, Cynthia (2008). Feminist coalitions: historical perspectives on second-wave feminism in the United States. Gilmore, Stephanie. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. pp. 19–47. "Creating a National Feminist Agenda, Coalition Building in the 1970s". ISBN 9780252075391. OCLC 177019477.
  7. ^ a b Sprung, Barbara (September 1977). "Equality now! For boys and girls". Parents Magazine. 53: 44–48 – via EBSCOhost.
  8. ^ "Sex in preschools". Saturday Review of Education. 1: 48. March 1973 – via EBSCOhost.
  9. ^ a b Alcohol and drugs are women's issues. Roth, Paula., Women's Action Alliance. Metuchen, N.J.: Women's Action Alliance. 1991. ISBN 0810823608. OCLC 22510833.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. ^ a b Women's Action Alliance, Inc. (1979). Written at New York. Williamson, Jane; Winston, Diane; Wooten, Wanda (eds.). Women's Action Almanac: A Complete Resource Guide. New York, New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0688085254.
  11. ^ a b "Women's Action Alliance Records, 1970-1996". Five College Archives & Manuscript Collections.
  12. ^ Miller, Marla R. (2002-07-01). "Tracking the Women's Movement through the Women's Action Alliance". Journal of Women's History. 14 (2): 154–156. doi:10.1353/jowh.2002.0051. ISSN 1527-2036. S2CID 144115228.