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Ethnic Women’s Organizations: History, Rationale, and Change An article entitled “Women in the Better World, written by Helen S. Prociuk of the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organization, was published in the September 1968 issue of Our Life. The following excerpts from this article provide some universal and timeless insights on the nature of ethnic women’s organizations, their reason for existing, and the challenges they face. Creating and maintaining women’s orga nizations in a foreign land was by no means an easy task. While ethnic communities did not openly op pose their existence, questions were repeatedly raised as to the wisdom of creating a separate organization for women; it was felt that women and men should join forces and work together. This feeling prevailed primarily in small communities that feared a fragmentation or duplication of work. In some areas, where community organizers were successful in preventing the establishment of wo men’s organizations, women joined [existing] community groups . . . contenting themselves with lesser tasks, leaving responsibilities and leadership to men. Language barriers and the opinion of indigenous women’s organizations that immigrant women should join THEIR groups sometimes pre vented close cooperation and exchange of ideas. However, in spite of these and other obs tacles (or perhaps because of them), a number of ethnic organizations survived and grew . . . because of able leadership, relevant goals, and interesting programs that responded to women’s needs. Wo men’s organizations devoted themselves to commu nity work, often filling gaps and taking up tasks no one else wanted to take. Ethnic women’s organi zations did not specialize; they attracted and re cruited women from all walks of life who felt at home within these organizations, protected from the outside world so new and different from the one they were familiar with. As time went by, the new world began to penetrate ethnic communities and their organiza tions. Ethnic women were invited to participate in exhibitions, folk art and cooking contests, or costume displays. Although cooperation was quite friendly, contacts were often limited to these occasions; interest on both sides ceased after an event ended. Tired of such somewhat superficial participation, ethnic women’s groups began to look for more meaningful contacts . . . a step toward involvement in the overall women’s movement was [joining] local National Councils of Women . . . primarily in Canada, Australia, and the United States. A far more important and significant break from isolation has occurred through their own membership, especially with younger women, bom or brought up and educated in the new countries. These new members bring new trends and new interests. Deeply attached to the culture and tra dition of their homelands, they no longer have the same strong ties to these homelands as the older members of the organization. They often no longer speak the language, most of them work, and it is hard to find among them a traditional “club woman” whose life and interests are centered around and are devoted exclusively to a woman’s organization. The new woman does not refuse to work for her community welfare; however, she is also asking what this community can do for her, how it can contribute to her welfare. She may focus on a better education for herself, better jobs, taking up and discharging more responsibilities as a citizen. This points out the need to reevaluate and broaden old goals and programs. The welfare of women, their personal development. . . should be a common goal of all women’s organizations. This focus on woman herself and her needs should not be considered a deterrent to community work or viewed as selfish. A better enlightened woman means a better com munity and, ultimately, a better world. Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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