Inter-American Commission of Women records

The Inter-American Commission of Women (IACW)/Comisión Interamericano de Mujeres (CIM) was established in 1928 "to work for the extension of civil, political, economic, and social rights to the women of [the Americas]; to study their problems and propose means of solving them." The IACW was established in response to pressure applied on the Pan American Union during the Sixth International Conference of American States in Havana, Cuba. Its Secretariat is attached to the General Secretariat of the Pan American Union's successor, the Organization of American States, as such it is the first international governmental entity established to advocate for women's political and civil rights.

Doris Stevens, of the National Woman's Party in the U.S., was appointed first chairman of the Commission of twenty-one members, one from each country in North, Central, and South America. Stevens served from 1928 until 1939.

In its early years IACW collected comprehensive information on women's civil and political status in each of the countries represented by the Commission and brought two proposals to the Pan American Union for ratification: the "Convention on Equality of Nationality" and a "Treaty on Equal Civil and Political Rights." The Convention required countries in the Pan American Union to abolish laws impacting the status of women who married foreign nationals. It was signed at the Seventh International Conference of American States in 1933. The Treaty advocated for ensuring women's rights to vote and hold office. It was not ultimately ratified by the Pan American Union.

At the Eighth International Conference of American States in 1938, IACW was established as a permanent organization. President Franklin D. Roosevelt replaced Doris Stevens as U.S. representative to the Commission in 1939. The second chair was Ana Rosa S. de Martinez Guerrero of Argentina. Under its new leadership, IACW continued to advocate for women's legal and civil rights, but chose not to challenge protective labor legislation, citing women's childbearing role.

In the 1950s and 60s IACW's focus expanded to include such things as education, working conditions, and access to health care and other public services. The impact of the women's movement of the 1970s brought advocacy for "social participation and a voice in the decision-making process."

Since 1955, IACW has regularly reported to the United Nations on the status of women in the Americas and works to implement U.N. Conventions in the Western Hemisphere.

According to its Web site, the IACW today is "the principal forum for debating and formulating policy on women's rights and gender equality in the Americas." For more information see: http://www.oas.org/en/cim/.