Women's Health Protective Association

Women's Health Protective Association (sometimes, Woman's Health Protective Association; original parent body, Ladies' Health Protective Association) was a US women's organization focused on improving a city's public health and protecting the immediate neighborhood. It was founded in New York City in November 1884 as the Ladies' Health Protective Association.

The impetus for the association occurred when a few women were annoyed by a nuisance maintained in the immediate neighborhood of their homes. They assembled in the parlor of one of the women to talk over the situation and devise some plan of concerted effort that could be brought to bear upon the New York City Metropolitan Board of Health to induce it to abate this nuisance. The result led to the formation of "The Ladies' Health Protective Association." It commanded public attention because its work was public and for the public. The meetings became important enough to have reporters assigned from the daily papers attend them, and reports appeared.

Associations were formed in other cities on the same general principles. The newer associations substituted the word "woman," or "women," for " ladies," although the original charter granted by New York State was to "The Ladies' Health Protective Association." By 1895, the parent body decided, in view of the prejudices against the use of the word "lady", to change its name to The Woman's Health Protective Association.

In November, 1884, eleven women residing on Beekman Hill, whose houses were located on a high bluff overlooking the East River, were so outraged at the continuance of the foul odors which polluted the atmosphere of the entire neighborhood, causing them to keep windows closed in the hottest weather, and depriving them of their right to pure air, that they resolved to investigate the cause of this nuisance. Accordingly, they made a tour of the neighborhood, in that section of the city known as the abattoir district, which extends on First Avenue from Forty-third Street to 47th Street. Their first visit was a revelation, and while they returned to their homes ill from the inspection and the discovery of the nuisance, they decided that some action must be taken to better the conditions. The following morning their number was increased to fifteen, and it was resolved that these women should form themselves into an organization, to be known as the Ladies' Health Protective Association.

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