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Our History

History

Times of Change.
Women Moving Forward.

The National Women’s Political Caucus was founded in 1971 by these strong, prominent women:

  • Gloria Steinem, author, lecturer and founding editor of Ms. Magazine
  • Shirley Chisholm, activist, former Congresswoman (1969-1983) and 1st black woman to run for president of the United States
  • Betty Friedan, activist and author of The Feminine Mystique
  • Fannie Lou Hamer, voting and women’s rights activist and civil rights leader
  • Bella Abzug, former Congresswoman (1971-1977) and former president of Women USA
  • And about 300 of their closest friends from across the country

About the Caucus

NWPC is the only national organization exclusively dedicated to increasing women’s participation in all political and public life roles:

  • Elected and appointed officials
  • Delegates to national party conventions
  • Judges in federal and state courts
  • Lobbyists
  • Voters
  • Campaign organizers

With state and local affiliates, our membership today spans the nation. We currently have 12 State Chapters—California, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington—and 10 emerging chapters.

How It All Started

Congress’ failure to pass the Equal Rights Amendment in 1970 sparked the founding of NWPC. Our leaders believed legal, economic and social equity would come about only when women were equally represented among the nation’s political decision-makers.

Their faith that women’s interests would best be served by women lawmakers has been confirmed time and time again. Women in Congress, state legislatures and city halls across the country have introduced, fought for, and won legislation to eliminate sex discrimination and meet the changing needs of all women.

We continue to fight for equal rights every day.

Significant CHANGE.

Our success is seen in the increased numbers* of women elected officials since NWPC was founded.

Woman in U.S. Congress

  • 1971 woman numbered 15 2.8%
  • 2023 woman numbered 151 28.2%

Woman State Legislators

  • 1971 woman numbered 363 4.7%
  • 2023 woman numbered 2,416 32.7%

Woman Mayors of Cities over 30,000

  • 1971 woman numbered 7 1%
  • 2024 woman numbered 433 26.8%

*According to the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP)

HIGHLIGHTS

1971

National Women’s Political Caucus is founded at a July 10–11 organizing conference attended by more than 320 women from 26 states. Statement of purpose calls for action “against sexism, racism, institutional violence and poverty” and contains pledges to:

  • Recruit and train feminist women candidates for public office
  • Reform party structure and rules to ensure women equal decision-making power
  • Work for equality in the delegate selection process
  • Register new women voters
  • Raise women’s issues in all elections
  • Lobby and testify for legislation to meet women’s needs, and
  • Create a strong national network through state and local caucuses

HIGHLIGHTS

1976

NWPC Democratic Task Force meets with presidential candidate Jimmy Carter, winning support for proposals concerning women appointments to the Cabinet and Supreme Court and equal division of women delegates at national conventions.

NWPC Democratic Task Force conducts major campaign for women’s rights at the Democratic National Convention in New York, securing platform support for the Equal Rights Amendment, equal pay and federally-funded child care.

NWPC Republican Women’s Task Force wages victorious battle to retain endorsement of Equal Rights Amendment in the Republican platform. Individual task force members lead successful effort to prevent party endorsement of a constitutional ban on abortions.

HIGHLIGHTS

1978

NWPC Democratic Task Force is rewarded for three years of work when Democratic National Committee passes measure requiring equal division of men and women delegates at the 1978 mid-term and 1980 national conventions.

NWPC-ERA Fund is established to provide direct financial and technical assistance to state legislative candidates in unratified states. Of 143 pro-ERA candidates given support, 75 percent are victorious.

Intensive lobbying effort by NWPC and other women’s organizations results in extension of ERA ratification deadline to June 1982.

Founders

Strong women.
In their own words.

Shirley Chisholm was the first Black Congresswoman (1968), the first woman to seek the Democratic Party’s nomination for president and the first Black major-party candidate to run for president of the United States (1972). In Congress, “Fighting Shirley” introduced more than 50 pieces of legislation and championed racial and gender equality, the plight of the poor, and ending the Vietnam war.

SHIRLEY CHISHOLM
NWPC CO-FOUNDER

“At present, our country needs women’s idealism and determination, perhaps more in politics than anywhere else.”

Do you believe in equality? Support Women. Support the Cause

Make a donation to NWPC. Be a change maker.

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