IFUWA

INDIAN FEDERATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S ASSOCIATIONS: ORIGIN AND GROWTH (IFUWA)

Author Nellie D. NATH University Women’s Association of Bangalore
Published by: UWA of Bangalore , 43, 4th Main, Sampangiramanagara, Bangalore – 560027 E-mail: universitywomensassociation gmail.com
First print: November 2017 Copyright: Individual Author

All rights reserved. This publication, may however, be freely reviewed, quoted, cited and abstracted with appropriate acknowledgement of the source , but not in any publication that is made available for sale, or for use in conjunction with commercial purposes.
Requests for permission to reproduce or translate the publication, in part or in full, should be addressed to University Women’s Association of Bangalore (UWAB).
This document represents a snapshot of the member associations of the Indian Federation of University Women’s Associations (IFUWA) as well as of the International Federation of University Women (IFUW) and their activities over the years.
All reasonable precautions have been taken by the author to verify the information contained in this publication. The responsibility for interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event shall UWAB or IFUWA or IFUW be liable for damages arising from its use.
Typeset and printed at Grafiprint Pvt. Ltd. (W. Q. Judge Press) Bangalore

Message from Kumararani Dr. Meena Muthiah

PRESIDENT (2014–2017), Indian Federation of University Women’s Associations
My association with the Indian Federation of University Women’s Associations, started over five decades ago, has completed a full circle. I am indeeddelighted to be associated with this esteemed organization.
The Indian Federation was one of the earliest national organizations of graduate women to affiliate with the International Federation of University Women (now Graduate Women International) in 1921. Many local associations were formed in India, but some of them were not able to function after some time due to various reasons.
Today we have fourteen University Women’s Associations (UWAs) in India, which have done very good work in the journey of empowerment of women and girls through education. We have a worldwide connection of women graduates and our focus now should be to use this network to explore ways of working together to foster peace in the world.
I have made many friends and derived tremendous satisfaction from my association with this esteemed organisation. It has been a pleasure and a learning experience to work closely with many stalwarts and youngsters in my 50-year journey with IFUWA.

Past President of: International Federation of University Women (IFUW, 1992-95), Indian Federation of University Women’s Associations (IFUWA, 1979-83) and University Women’s Association of Calcutta (UWAC, 1975-77)

FOREWORD

The two women from the sea-washed shores of the Atlantic Ocean, devastated at the destruction that the World War had brought upon human civilization, reacted equally, representing the sentiments of the daughter, wife and mother. It is the home-maker and the keeper of society in all women that made them ponder how another such happening could be avoided. They knew it required a total change in thought, behavior and action. It had to bring about a change in morality. It would then end the acute selfishness of men which led them to the crime of exterminating one another.
They thought of a lasting remedy; and they thought and decided that EDUCATION could be the panacea. Thus began the graduate women’s organization, “International Federation of University Women” (IFUW), which has now spread to over 60 nations. It is a pledge that all of us, educated women of the world, must honour so that our children, and their children’s children can enjoy freedom of the mind and the soul. For –
“Freedom’s banner once raised will fly in the blue sky and shall never be erased”
Chitra Ghosh

PREFACE

The Indian Federation of University Women’s Associations (IFUWA) will be completing 100 years of existence in 2021, and I have been a part of this organization for the past 46 years. The seed was sown in 1918, when three accomplished women, Dean Virginia Gildersleeve of Barnard College, New York, Prof. Caroline Spurgeon of the University of London, and Ms. Rose Sidgwick, Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, met in New York and together conceived the idea of the International Federation of University Women (IFUW), which came into existence in the summer of 1919. The Indian Federation, formed soon after in 1920, was affiliated to the International Federation in 1921. Since then it has grown into a very stable and progressive non-governmental organization of graduate women in India.

It was the book, “A Lamp of Friendship”, by Edith C. Batho, that really got me interested in how these two Federations have survived and grown stronger along the way and are both poised to celebrate their respective centenaries shortly.
The historical information in this book has been obtained from various publications of our local associations and national federation that were available with me, and some material sent by IFUWA members in response to my questionnaire. I have also used information from publications of the International Federation (IFUW).
Unfortunately, most of the early historical records of IFUWA from the first fifty years seem to have been lost, perhaps due to the disturbance caused by the second World War, and also due to the practice of sending the archival records to different locations in India, following the practice of rotating headquarters of the IFUWA. Finally, the responsibility for selection of the material remains mine.
I hope this book will give you an understanding of the enormous work carried out voluntarily, and with great generosity of spirit, by graduate women during the last 97 years.
Nellie D. NATH Convener, Constitution Advisory Committee, IFUWA (2014-17) Past President of: UW Asia (1995-98), IFUWA (1995-99), UWA Bangalore (1990-92) July 2017

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book would not have been possible without the cooperation of many of our members and friends. I would like to express my gratitude for their faith in me.
But first, let me begin by telling you that it was Veena Bathe of UWA Pune (past Secretary of IFUWA) who triggered this project of mine by sending me the book by Edith C. Batho, which she had bought in the IFUW Shop at the Istanbul Conference in 2013. It is a short history of the IFUW from 1918 to 1968, and it got me hooked. I thank Veena for being such a perceptive person.
Next, my daughter, Cheryl, suggested a book which would also interest members of the general public, and a wider audience other than our own members, and made up her mind to help me out with editing and the massive typing work to be done at home. Her ability to convert my handwritten manuscript into typed form got the book ready for publication. I thank her, and also my son, Karthik, who sourced and sent me the book “Many a Good Crusade” and the wonderful photo of Cornelia and Virginia.
To Professor Chitra Ghosh, who sent me her Foreword so promptly! Thank you, Chitra-di.
To Dr. Meena Muthiah, President of IFUWA (2014-17) for her message. A “BIG THANK YOU’ to her.

I am grateful to Princess Gouri Lakshmi Bayi, Dr. Panna Akhani, Havovi Gandhi, Enakshi Chattopadhyay, Uma Majumdar, Mythili Sundar, Shilu Ranganathan, Dr. Hemal Kanvinde, and Dr. Praveena Krishnamurthy, who have all given me information I needed, – by hard copy, soft copy, or on the phone. I thank each one of them sincerely.
Likewise, I thank Geetha Jaisim for going through the contents of my book and UWA of Bangalore for whole-heartedly absorbing the cost of printing the same.
THANK YOU ALL

CONTENTS

  1. Indian Federation of University Women’s Associations (IFUWA):
    Foundation and Early Years
  2. International Federation of University Women (IFUW): Birth
  3. IFUWA Consolidation and Federation
  4. IFUW Troublesome Years and Relief Work
  5. IFUW Revival and Expansion
  6. University Women of Asia (UWAsia)
  7. SAARCFUW: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation – Federation of University Women
  8. WGU of Bombay (1915)
  9. UWA of Calcutta (1921)
  10. UWA of Madras (1922)
  11. UWA of Delhi (1949)
  12. UWA of Pune (1949)
  13. UWA of Nagpur (1951)
  14. UWA of Dehra Dun (1962)
  15. UWA of Bangalore (1963)
  16. UWA of Trivandrum (1963)
  17. UWA of Coonoor (1964)
  18. UWA of Chidambaram (1997)
  19. UWA of Vadodara (2005)
  20. Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund for University Women
  21. IFUW and IFUWA Initiatives: Project Five-O and Bina Roy Programmes
  22. Looking ahead
  23. References

Appendix 1 – Extracts from the IFUWA Constitution, as amended on Saturday, 23rd August 2014
Appendix 2. Extracts from the IFUW Constitution (now known as GWI), as amended by the 31st IFUW General Assembly, 2013

published on 6th July, 2019