Woman's Peace Party

The Woman's Peace Party (WPP) was the first and longest-lasting American feminist peace organization. The organization began in 1915 and exists today as the U.S. section of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). WPP was originally headquartered in Chicago, but today, the organization's headquarters are in New York City. At its peak in 1916, the organization had more than 40,000 members and more than 200 local branches and affiliated organizations. The organization argues for women's right to make policy decisions (including through suffrage) on the basis of women's moral superiority in matters of peace because of their “natural” role as mothers.

After meeting with several prominent suffragists from other countries in December 1914, the women from WILPF formed the Women's Peace Party. However, Jane Addams's call for a women's peace conference in January 1915 established the organization with delegates from across the United States and from both the radical and traditional sides of the suffrage debate.

In April 1915, members of WPP met with other international women's peace activists and established the International Committee for Women for Permanent Peace, which attempted to end World War I. At the end of the war, the women met again, with delegates from more countries, and the organization became the lasting international women's peace organization WILPF.

Later that year, the Women's Peace Party became the U.S. section of WILPF. Leaders of WPP were often attacked for their peace activism by government officials, and some even lost their jobs.

In the interwar period, WPP suffered serious ruptures as many women formed other pacifist organizations with stronger nonresistance stances and after the right to vote was achieved, some women left to join mixed-sex peace organizations. Although it was the only women's peace organization to survive World War II, WPP continued to struggle with governmental attacks in the McCarthy and Hoover eras, with racism, and with attracting younger members. Today, however, the U.S. section of WILPF continues with more than 78 branches across the United States.

The organization was originally led by board composed of a president/chairman, a national secretary, an executive secretary, a treasurer, and a national organizer. Most of the activities are undertaken by the individual branches, rather than the organization as a whole.

WPP links other issues of equality, such as gender and race and recently homophobia, to peace. Leaders of the organization continue to meet with political leaders, draft educational resources, and attend protest activities to promote peace and justice for all Americans.