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Jamaica Federation of Women

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The Jamaica Federation of Women (JFW) is a Jamaican women's organization. Established in 1944, it was the first island-wide women's organization.

History

The JFW was founded by Lady Molly Huggins, who had come to Jamaica in 1943 as the wife of the Governor of Jamaica, John Huggins. Other founder-members included Rose Leon and Mary Morris Knibb. The federation drew on a legacy of pro-imperial white-dominated conservative women's associations, active in Jamaica from the late 19th century, and on the Women's Institutes of Great Britain. Its executive committee included representatives of the Women's Liberal Club, the Women's Social Service Association and the Jamaica Women's League.

The JFW neutralized more Afro-centric feminism in Jamaica. It attracted a large membership, including poor rural women: by 1948 there were 30,000 members. After Lady Huggins left in 1950, local leadership took over.

Papers relating to the JFW's history are held at the National Library of Jamaica.

Current activities

The Jamaica Federation of Women celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2014. "Today the JFW still represents a broad-based organization, with a wide network of rural branches, a leadership of elite, largely urban women, and a home-maker orientation".

References

  1. ^ Geertje A. Nijeholt; Saskia Wieringa (2019). Women's Movements and Public Policy in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean: The Triangle of Empowerment. Taylor & Francis. pp. 120–122. ISBN 978-1-135-62993-9.
  2. Jean Lowrie-Chin, This Blessed Jamaica Archived 2011-12-27 at the Wayback Machine, Jamaica Observer, 24 October 2011. Accessed 19 April 2020.
  3. ^ Linnette Vassell, 'Voluntary Women's Associations in Jamaica: The Jamaica Federation of Women 1944-1962', unpublished MPhil thesis, University of the West Indies, 1993. Abstract online.
  4. Jean Lowrie-Chin, Jamaica's Federation of courageous women Archived 2014-07-30 at the Wayback Machine, Jamaica Observer, 27 July 2014. Accessed 19 April 2020.


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