Fonds F 0011 - Canadian Federation of University Women, Windsor fonds

The Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) was founded in 1919, during a period in which women were pursuing postsecondary education in modest but increasing numbers. Inspired by British and American organizations, the CFUW aimed to amplify the voices of educated women and mobilize them for joint action. It brought together existing local clubs of women university graduates in a national federation and subsequently expanded to new communities. CFUW leaders consistently directed the organization to support women engaging in politics, advocate for pay equity, support higher education for women (in part through scholarships), campaign for peace and international understanding, and participate in the International Federation of University Women. During the Second World War (1939-1945) local clubs supported the war effort through humanitarian work and initiatives benefitting women in the armed forces.

The Windsor club was part of a mid-century CFUW expansion spurred by a dramatic increase in women attending university. Windsor members received their club charter in 1945 and pursued a mix of social, educational, and advocacy activities in Windsor and Essex County over ensuing decades. The CFUW celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2019, boasting a membership of approximately 10,000 women organized into 123 local clubs. The Windsor club by that point was composed of female university graduates (“regular members”) and other women (“associate members”) who shared a commitment to: (1) the pursuit of knowledge and promotion of education, (2) improving the status of women and human rights, and (3) actively participating in public affairs in a spirit of cooperation and friendship.

Sources: “About Us,” on Canadian Federation of University Women – Windsor, Ontario website, http://www.cfuwwindsor.ca/?page_id=2 ; and “About Us” / “CFUW History” (2004), Canadian Federation of University Women website (captured by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, 12 May 2012), https://web.archive.org/web/20120510084340/http://www.cfuw.org/en-ca/aboutus/cfuwhistory.aspx (both accessed 28 September 2020); contents of fonds.