GWI HISTORY
When Dean Virginia Gildersleeve, Professor Caroline Spurgeon and Rose Sidgwick sat together in 1918 and conceived the idea of a worldwide organization uniting university women, they were convinced that by fostering friendship and understanding, women graduates could help prevent another catastrophe such as the World War that had just ended. Their dream became reality the next year when university women from Great Britain, Canada and the United States met to lay the foundation for the International Federation of University Women (IFUW). One hundred and eight years later thousands of women graduates throughout the world continue to work on the same principles and vision that inspired those early leaders. Post-World War I, the goal of our GWI foremothers was for peace. Women’s leadership was seen to be the key to achieving peace and justice in the world, understanding that education would be necessary for women to achieve leadership positions at the highest levels. 7th International Federation of University Women Conference – Cracow, Poland, 1936.