A birth is always an important event. When
it is brought about by the fusion of vision
with courage, nothing on earth can be of
greater significance.
"I
like to think that we have, the one with
the other, a new faith; that we believe
in each other and in ourselves, and even
in our destiny-for this is the hour of destiny,
else the hour would not have struck."
The
words are those of Lena Madesin Phillips,
spoken from the Chair, at the founding of
the International Federation of Business
and Professional Women at the second session
of a three-day Conference held August 24-26,
1930, in Geneva. Sixteen nations were represented.
It
was the first of its kind in history and
was the harvest gathered from the seeds
of goodwill planted by three Goodwill Tours
to Europe, under the leadership of Miss
Phillips, made by members of the 11 year
old National Federation of Business and
Professional Women's Clubs of the United
States of America.
 Not
only had the romance of the undiscovered
lured them to seek new experience in the
Old World, but also the desire "to
share, to learn, to find completeness in
world fellowship." There can have been
little doubt in anyone's mind after the
first informal meetings of the leaders of
the delegations, that there was the keenest
desire for an organisation which would meet
the great need for mutual understanding,
and do practical and enlightening work.
This
was emphasised at the first of the preliminary
discussions, held at the Carlton Parc Hotel
on August 23, by Dr. Marianne Beth of Austria.
Miss Helen Fraser of Great Britain said
that "the sphere of power had shifted
during recent years from political to economic
and financial problems, and women's knowledge
could be of much value to the world."
Dr. Boehme of Germany considered "there
was a great need for mutual information."
It was evident from will Signora Guidi (representing
the Italian Government) said, that the three-year-old
National organisation in Italy had become
the second most important women’s
organisation in that country. Mrs. Lee of
China said that the Chinese women were still
a small faction in national life but "this
new organisation might be of inestimable
value as a means of guidance and assistance
in their endeavours to achieve emancipation."
The other countries represented at that
preliminary meeting were Canada, Finland,
France, Hungary, Switzerland, and the United
States. Hostess for their official welcome
was Madame Clara Guthrie d'Arcis, President
of the World Union of Women for International
Concord. As they looked toward the blue
lake of Geneva with the snow-capped Alps
beyond, and breathed the rose-scented air
on the terrace of her charming house, all
must have been stirred to a certain excitement
and new sense of purpose.
Governments
had come together under the idealistic concept
of the League of Nations. Why should not
the potential contribution of women, trained
I objective thinking as well as subjective
practical action, be tapped? One hundred
and fifty members of various countries heard
Princess Radziwill, representing the Secretary
General of the League, welcome the prospect
of the new organisation and say: "I
hope the work you are going to do will bear
fruit in every country. The link which unites
men and women is the link of mutual work."
The
remark was apt. Work, hard work, sometimes
dangerous work, and then still more work
was going to forge links which would hold
the imagination of women long after the
League of Nations itself had succumbed.
The International Federation of Business
and Professional Women was going to make
its mark and give the world something it
had never had before.
There
was much to be done and no time to lose,
so the assembly got down at once to the
adoption of a Constitution, a draft having
been thoughtfully prepared for discussion
section by section, by Miss Helen Fraser
of Great Britain, Dr. Marianne Beth of Austria,
Dr. Maria Castellani of Italy, and Miss
Dorothy Heneker of Canada.
The
objective was three-fold: (a) to promote
friendly relations between the business
and professional women of all countries,
(b) to cooperate in regard to their common
interests, (c) to work for high standards
of service to their communities and to all
nations. The machinery for achieving the
above did later, of necessity, require overhauling
from time to time, but the aims themselves
have remained, in essence, as those pioneer
women first established them. The name adopted
was "The International Federation of
Business and Professional Women." It
was not to be bedeviled by politics, but
to remain steadfastly nonsectarian and nonpartisan.
With a workable constitution agreed upon,
the Conference could move on to more inspiriting
matters. It was natural for it to turn first
to the study of "the handicaps of women
in business and professions," including
some comment on the legal disabilities which
restricted them in many ways. It was a problem
found to be common to them all and reflected
most harshly among the older women, though
difficulties were less in many respects
some said, for the professional than for
business women. Resolutions were forthcoming
from Great Britain, Belgium, France, Austria,
Holland, and Hungary.
Provisions
were made for a special research project
by federated countries, for the establishment
of hospitality committees and central bureaux
in America and Europe, and for research
and coordination of information relating
to the work and status of business and professional
women.
In
an atmosphere of mounting excitement, a
banquet was held at the Carlton Parc Hotel,
while greetings and congratulations streamed
in pledging support from many lands for
the future programme of the new Federation.
"Let
us build together and see what we can make"
was the challenge thrown by Miss Lena Madesin
Phillips who had by then been elected President.
She had as supporting officers four Vice-Presidents-Signora
Ester Danesi Traversari (Italy), Madame
Yvonne Netter (France), Dr. Marianne Beth
(Austria), and Miss Helen Fraser (Great
Britain). Miss Dorothy Heneker of Canada
became the Federation's first Secretary,
later, Executive Director, and Miss Henrietta
Corson Harris (United States) the Treasurer.
On
the following morning came the first parting.
No longer strangers as they had arrived,
but as friends, they left Geneva exhilarated
by the knowledge that a page of history
had been written, friends with faith in
the promise of opening new opportunities
and building closer understanding. The first
International Conference of Business and
Professional Women ever to be held came
to an end. They went their several ways
pledged to meet a great challenge. |
