Chicago Women's Liberation Union

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The Chicago Women's Liberation Union (CWLU) was the first women's liberation union in the United States. Founded in 1969, the CWLU functioned as an umbrella group, uniting previously existing feminist groups and helping new ones to form. At the height of its popularity, the CWLU boasted of 500 members.

[edit] Activities

Most of the members of the CWLU were veterans of other protest movements. They marched for civil rights and against the Vietnam War. Despite their commitment however, many of these women were relegated to secretarial positions and regularly had their complaints about sexism ignored or downplayed by the male leadership of the New Left. Other women complained of sexual harassment and even assault.

The sexism of the New Left only mirrored general society's. Wage discrimination was still de rigueur despite the 1964 federal law banning it. Abortions were illegal; thousands of women died from or were permanently sterilized by back-alley abortions. Women were stiil underepresented--or barred outright--from certain professions.

The CWLU formed as a radical grassroots organization. It was organized in work groups with distinct agendas and memberships. Some of its activities included rape crisis centers, consciousness raising, and a legal clinic. One of the work groups was the Women's Graphic Collective which designed, made and sold original design silk-screened posters with feminists themes. It later demonstrated for free childcare and ran a newspaper. Another of the work groups was Jane (organization), an underground abortion service that made it possible for many women to have safe and inexpensive (although illegal) abortions. About 11,000 abortions were performed by the service between 1969 and 1973.

The group, which worked closely with Chicago NOW, also supported the Black Panthers and gay and lesbian rights.

The CWLU disbanded in 1977 after spawning numerous spin-off groups. In 1999, the CWLU Herstory project organized to document the group's successes.