Medical Women's Federation
 |
|
| Abbreviation | MWF |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Association of Registered Medical Women |
| Formation | 1 February 1917 |
| Legal status | Charity |
| Location |
|
| Coordinates | 51°31′35″N 0°07′41″W / 51.526403°N 0.128015°WCoordinates: 51°31′35″N 0°07′41″W / 51.526403°N 0.128015°W |
|
Region
|
United Kingdom |
|
Membership (2008)
|
1200 |
|
Current President
|
Parveen Kumar |
|
Key people
|
|
| Slogan | Working for Women Doctors and their Patients |
| Website | www |
The Medical Women's Federation is the largest UK body of women doctors. The organisation is dedicated to the advancement of the personal and professional development of women in medicine and to improving the health of women and their families in society. It was founded in 1917, and its headquarters are located in , London.
The Medical Women's Foundation built upon the Association of Registered Medical Women, which had been founded in London in 1879 with the intention that it would 'speak on behalf of all medical women and represent their interests.' Nine members comprised the original association, though other provincial associations and members rapidly followed as more women became qualified in medicine. Representatives of these associations came together in 1916 to discuss the benefits of establishing a Federation. This meeting was in part stimulated by the Government's dismissive attitude towards women doctors who wished to serve in the First World War.
On 1 February 1917, Articles of Association were drawn up and signed, thus creating the Medical Women's Federation. There were 190 members to begin with, including Jane Harriett Walker, Ethel Williams, Catherine Chisholm, Florence Barrett, and Louisa Aldrich-Blake. The offices opened on 13 February. At the outset they considered accepting members living outside the British Isles and reported receiving enquiries from Canada, Tasmania, Australia and India.
The newly formed Federation launched a campaign to promote the role of women in the armed forces, arguing that women medics should be given commissions in order to maintain discipline in military hospitals. Concerns about women included fears about their physical abilities and the absence of suitable accommodation, and especially the attitude that women should not command men and fear that any concession might initiate a movement for officer-status on the behalf of other women serving in branches of the military. The Federation collected testimonies and excellent records, but despite their petitioning and campaigning the War Office remained reluctant to grant women equal status.
Other early focusses included venereal disease, prostitution, and maternity and infant welfare.
...
Wikipedia