APA’s Committee on Women in Psychology (CWP) Celebrates 50 years of Advocacy for Women’s Issues in Psychology and Society.

CWP’s 50th Anniversary celebration kick-off event was a Women’s History Month webinar featuring a cross-generational conversation reflecting on 5 decades of activism, starting in 1969 with a stormy protest and take-over of APA’s Council of Representatives by the Association for Women in Psychology. That event ultimately led to the formal establishment of CWP in 1973.

Rooted in civil rights and feminist movements of the ‘60s, CWP became a power base for women’s activism in psychology that worked to establish and promote other power bases for women within and across structures APA as well as Divisions, State Associations, and related mental health disciplines (See “Fun Fact” box about women in psychiatry).

Fun Fact: When women in psychiatry wanted to establish a Committee on Women in the “other APA,” they turned to CWP for advice.  They were successful and at their celebratory dinner gave us (Tina Cummings, CWP chair and me (CWP Staff liaison) a standing ovation for our help. 

A recording of that March 23rd webinar, "CWP: 50 Years of Advocacy in APA - Past Meets Present" can be found HERE

One question raised was: What does activism look like?
My answer: Efforts to create and use power bases for women’s advocacy

Watch for CWP-sponsored events in the Convention program and learn about current priorities and activities of these and other advocacy groups.

For more information about CWP’s programs and progress, also check out:

52 Resolutions and Motions Regarding the Status of Women in Psychology: Chronicling 30 Years of Passion and Progress (PDF, 296KB)
Lear about actions taken by APA's Council of Representatives regarding employment, education, child and health care facilities, psychological theories and practice, conventions, equity in decision-making and the general status of women.

Two Decades of Change (PDF, 505KB)
The CWP Twentieth Anniversary Report includes information on their involvement in issues such as ethnic minority women, nonsexist language and research, the Equal Rights Amendment, reproductive freedom, lesbian issues and more.