International Federation of University Women

The International Federation of University Women (IFUW), renamed Graduate Women International (GWI), is an international organization for women university graduates. IFUW was founded in the wake of the First World War by both British and North American college and university workers who were hoping to contribute to congenial relations between women of different nationalities. Nearly 90 years later, GWI continues to advocate for women's rights, equality and empowerment through the access to quality secondary and tertiary education, and training up to the highest levels. The goal is for 100% of girls and women worldwide to achieve an education beyond primary school.

In the aftermath of World War I, Dean Virginia Gildersleeve of Barnard College, Professor Caroline Spurgeon of the University of London, and Rose Sidgwick of the University of Birmingham created the federation to help prevent another catastrophe such as the recent war in Europe. These women believed that if they could unite university women from around the world, the fostering of friendship and understanding would lead to a fostering of peace. On 11 July 1919, the IFUW was founded in London with founding members from three countries: Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. In addition to promoting peace, the advancement of careers for women in university formed a major objective for the organization. IFUW created fellowships and promoted the founding of women's clubhouses where women could stay during research visits overseas. The IFUW was renamed Graduate Women International in April 2015.

IFUW, now called Graduate Women International (GWI), is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and advocates for girls' and women’s rights, equality and empowerment through access to lifelong quality education and training up to the highest levels. The organization's work is centered on Education for All, Secondary Education, Tertiary Education, Continuing Education, and Non-Traditional Education to empower girls and women.

GWI has national affiliates in 60 countries and individual members in more than 40 countries. The organization was the ninth non-governmental organization (NGO) to receive special consultative status with the United Nations ECOSOC and is a NGO maintaining official relations with UNESCO and the ILO. GWI advocates actively within the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), and is also a founding member of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). CEDAW is the most comprehensive international agreement on the human rights of women. It calls for states to eliminate all forms of discrimination on the basis of gender and sets an agenda for achieving full equality between women and men.

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