Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40-41
42-43
44-45
46-47
48-49
50-51
52-53
54-55
56-57
58-59
60-61
62-63
64-65
66-67
68-69
70-71
72-73
74-75
76-77
78-79
80-81
82-83
84-85
86-87
88-89
90-91
92-93
94-95
96-97
98-99
100-101
102-103
104-105
106-107
108-109
110-111
112-113
114-115
116-117
118-119
120-121
122-123
124-125
126-127
128-129
130-131
132-133
134-135
136-137
138-139
140-141
142-143
144-145
146-147
148-149
150-151
152-153
154-155
156-157
158-159
160-161
162-163
164-165
166-167
168-169
170-171
172-173
174-175
176-177
178-179
180-181
182-183
184-185
186-187
188-189
190-191
192-193
194-195
196-197
198-199
200-201
202-203
204-205
206-207
208-209
210-211
212-213
214-215
216-217
218-219
220-221
222-223
224-225
226-227
228-229
230-231
232-233
234-235
236-237
238-239
240-241
242-243
244-245
246-247
248-249
250-251
252-253
254-255
256-257
258-259
260-261
262-263
264-265
266-267
268-269
270-271
272-273
274-275
276-277
278-279
280-281
282-283
284-285
286-287
288-289
290-291
292-293
294-295
296-297
298-299
300-301
302-303
MARTA BACZYNSKY On the Golden Jubilee of the U. N. W. L. A. I n J une of 1975 Ukrainian Women's League of America will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding. Courage, determination, humanitarianism and above all the dedication to the preservation of our national identity, highlight the history of the organization. The successful unification, under one charter, of thousands of Ukrainian women in the free world, provided an uncommon opportunity for the realization of set objectives and goals. Yielding to the need for organized social activity, Ukrainian women in America have begun to form associations as early as 1897. However, the programs of these pioneer organizations were geared to church and local community needs. In the next two decades, attempts at building organizations with a broader range of interest were sporadic and met with little enthusiasm and success. The 1918-1919 spur for independence in the Ukraine and consequently its dispersement brought to light two very significant matters: the plight of Ukrainians under the communist domination and the position of Ukrainians in America. It became a matter of conscience to Ukrainian women in America to establish means of communication with, and provide aid to the Ukrainians in our homeland. It also became very clear to Ukrainian women in Americathattheir recognition as an ethnic group, the acknowledgement of national grievances and obtaining a voice in the American mainstream of life, depended upon the establisment of communication and cooperation with the American community. In the late spring of 1925 Ukrainian National Women's League of America became a central force speaking for Ukrainian women in America; Then began the surmounting job of consolidating under its auspices the many women's organizations rallying to join the ranks, translating their individual needs into one common agenda. This primary work was launched under the leadership of Julia Shustakowych, the first president of the organization The fomative years provided the young organization with many opportunities that accented its direction. Here, in the United States, an invaluable lesson learned early, was the fact that our Ukrainian culture in the form of arts, crafts and national dress, was priceless advertisement befor the American public. The forty years of literary accomlishment of Olha Kobylansky in the Ukraine, was acknowledged here by the organization with celebrations and a gift for the beloved writer. In 1928 devestating floods in Western Ukraine initiated a great relief and aid drive in which UNWLA played a significant role. In 1930 the horrors of pacification of Western Ukraine brought forth action by UNWLA in the form of protests and aid. In 1932 UNWLA organized the first Congress of Ukrainian Women, which was held in New York. Serving as a forum for bringing to light the pertinent problems and situations facing the Ukrainian women, the Congress drew to its sessions not only members of the UNWLA, but representatives of many other women's organizations, non-affiliated individuals, and hosted several prominent American women, among them writer Fanny Hurst. The second decade in the life of UNWLA saw further accomplishments. In 1937 the International Ukrainian Women's League was formed in Lwiw, uniting through its reresenta- tives various women's organizations in the Ukraine with those scattered throughout the world. Just a year later the organization was banned by the Polish government, touching off a wave of protest by the UNWLA in the form of public meetings and telegrams to the League of Nations in Geneva, governments in United States, England and France. The advent of the Second World War brought to light a new political situation for the www.unwla.org
Page load link
Go to Top