WEDO: Women's Environment and Development Organization

The women's environment and Development Organization (WEDO) was founded in 1990 by the late Bella Abzug (former Democratic U.S. congresswoman; 1920–98), and Mim Kelber (1922–2004), a well-known women's rights and peace activist. As noted in their mission statement, the international organization “advocates for women's equality in global policy. It seeks to empower women as decision makers to achieve economic, social and gender justice, a healthy, peaceful planet and human rights for all.”

WEDO was inspired by an earlier movement, women in development (WID), which began in the 1970s and was a shift in international aid development policies to emphasize the importance of women's roles in economic development. The WID approach was later institutionalized by aid organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and ...