Women Creating Change (WCC), formerly known as the Women's City Club of New York, is an American nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization based in New York City. Founded in 1915, it focuses on advancing gender and racial equity, with a particular emphasis on supporting women of color, low-income women, and gender-expansive individuals.
WCC works on issues including economic opportunity, education, healthcare, reproductive justice, environmental justice, and public safety. The organization engages in policy advocacy and coalition building in partnership with community groups and policymakers in New York City.
The organization adopted its current name, Women Creating Change, in 2019
History Women Creating Change was founded in 1915 as the Women's City Club of New York, during World War I, by a group of civic activists who sought to address political and municipal issues facing New York City. The club's founding purpose was "to consider various political problems [...] and to offer practical methods by which women may initiate, support, or oppose municipal movements." In September 1915, the club had more than 1,500 members. The founders were suffragettes and from its earliest years, the organization engaged with issues including labor conditions for women in sweatshops, tenement housing reform, and equal opportunity in public life, especially those relating to women and children. The City Club of New York was only open to men at the time.
Founders had a great purpose in mind: "to consider various political problems [...] and to offer practical methods by which women may initiate, support, or oppose municipal movements." WCC held its first officer elections on January 31, 1916. By 1917, there were 1,800 members, and in 1919, 3,100 members. Early on, WCC met on the 18th floor of the Vanderbilt Hotel, where members discussed topics of interest to the woman's club movement. In 1918, the organization moved to an address on Park Avenue. Mary Garrett Hay was nominated for president of WCC in 1918 and helped organize it to become more civically effective. In 1924, Eleanor Roosevelt joined WCC and was elected to its board of directors.
Members wasted no time in tackling complex problems. WCC was organized into special committees which included those on education, welfare, children, the justice system and health issues. During World War I, WCC created a special war committee where they raised money for the war effort. WCC raised $5,000 for war aid.
WCC successfully lobbied Columbia University to admit women to its law school in 1917. In the 1930s, members campaigned for a citywide Department of Sanitation. In 1935, they were involved with charter revision of the county government. WCC was also involved in discussing worker's issues, in the late 1930s, such as minimum wage and eight-hour days for domestic workers. WCC educated the public in order to allow women to serve on juries in the mid-1940s.
Timeline
1915–1919
WCC is founded in 1915. On August 3, The New York Tribune reported that a group of seven "public spirited women formed the initiatory committee, which has invited one hundred representative New York women to compose the organizing committee" of WCC. That same year, WCC incorporates, forms an Organization Committee of 100, and holds its first official meeting on January 31, 1916.
Members distribute sandwiches to 10,000 striking garment workers WCC leads efforts to support women's admission to Columbia Law School WCC organizes, finances and operates a War Service Committee, Le Bien-Être du Blessé (Welfare of the Wounded), to deliver food to thousands of wounded soldiers in France WCC focuses on suffrage, and Carrie Chapman Catt, WCC member and President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, plays an instrumental role in the passage of the Woman Suffrage Amendment to the New York State Constitution, granting women the right to vote in the State WCC opens the nation's first maternity center less than a year after Margaret Sanger addresses the organization, the birthing center becomes a model in public health circles and grows to become the Maternity Center Association WCC charter member Frances Perkins (a future U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945) outlines a plan for WCC's work in civic education In 1918, WCC publishes "Our Hopes Justified", highlighting the results of the maternity clinic's pre-natal work and exposes the use of unqualified "nurses" during an influenza epidemic In 1919, WCC publishes "School Services for Exceptional or Handicapped Children" and "That ‘Feminized Schools' Bugaboo", which criticizes the "lack of scientific education for girls… overcrowded classes, and too few women on local school boards."
1920s
WCC issues reports on the re-organization of New York State government and on the poor working conditions and low wages of tenement manufacturing WCC issues a guide to all candidates in the City, State, and Federal elections and WCC members vote in the first Presidential election since the passage of the 19th Amendment WCC opposes motion picture censorship, and succeeds in abolishing sex discrimination in State civil service In 1922, WCC petitions in support of a constitutional amendment to give Congress the power to limit and prohibit labor of children under 16 years old In 1923, Eleanor Roosevelt joins WCC and later chairs its "City Planning" unit, and later that year Margaret Woodrow Wilson joins WCC In 1924, WCC drafts legislation and successfully campaigns for passage of the first New York State child labor laws, and launches a campaign for a 48-hour work week for women as "a shorter day means better motherhood and stronger women" Eleanor Roosevelt becomes WCC's first vice president In 1927, WCC's report "The School Lunch Program" results in the replacement of concessionaires by the Department of Homemaking In 1929, a WCC study, "Child and Youthful Marriages in New York County", fuels its advocacy campaign to prohibit child marriage
1930s
In 1931, WCC members lobby the State Legislature to update the charter for New York City Members support raising the age that children can leave school to 15 years old In 1932, WCC publishes "Comfort Stations in New York City: Today and Tomorrow", recommending improvements in bathroom facilities In 1933, WCC's advocacy leads to the establishment of the Court of Domestic Relations to handle cases of children up to 16 years old WCC employs a template similar to the Frances Perkins-inspired civic education program for other programs such as "Know Your Courts" and "Know Your Schools" In 1935, WCC urges the Works Progress Administration to give women the same consideration as men in appointment of work WCC holds a public program, "Difficulties of Managing Low-Rent Housing Projects", which called for more women in actual management of projects WCC publishes "Housing for the Family", the first comprehensive report on the City's need for better public housing In 1937, WCC publishes "Women on Jury Duty", advocating for equal participation of sexes In 1938, WCC publishes "Achieving Better Schools"
1940s
WCC publishes "Should Prostitution Receive Legal or Social Treatment?" Creates a "Handbook on Civil Liberties" compiling relevant statutes, regulations, and court decisions In 1941, WCC addresses extending State aid for kindergartens to give women time for defense activities and aid for schools to teach principles of democracy In 1942, WCC conducts a study of the custodial system in schools, emphasizing the use of schools as community centers In 1944, WCC supports a bill mandating equal pay for equal work, criticizes an increase in employment of minors in industry, and protests a bill to abolish the New York State Department of Labor's Women's Division and Division of Minimum Wage In 1946, WCC publishes "New York City's 5-Cent Fare" focused on its goals for soundly planned and adequately financed systems of mass transit In 1947, WCC publishes "A Survey of Counseling and Guidance Services in Academic High Schools" and calls for an increase in counseling/guidance services and a class size of 25 In 1948, WCC endorses a bill to outlaw discrimination in educational institutions on the basis of color, creed, and race WCC issues "Better Housing for the Family", exposing how public housing developments have inadequate facilities and are too far from low-cost shopping, clinics and public transit In 1949, WCC recommends a State constitutional amendment to permit the City to borrow $500 million for construction of a Second Avenue subway
1950s
WCC studies 108 play streets in Manhattan about their cleanliness WCC urges City hospitals to give special treatment to juvenile drug addicts WCC protests allegations by Joseph McCarthy's Senate subcommittee against a WCC board member WCC holds a public program on businesses considering women "old" at age 35 In 1952, WCC endorses the principles of new zoning plan to diminish congestion in Manhattan and to "end need for children to seek play space in NYC's dangerous streets" In March 1954, WCC issues "Tenant Relocation at West Park", a study of living conditions and relocation tactics used in Manhattantown. In 1954, WCC issues "Institutions for Delinquent Youth", a study of 23 correctional institutions for 16- to 21-year-olds, and recommends the establishment of a youth center for delinquents awaiting trial In 1955, WCC publishes "Know Your Courts", which outlines the functions of the various types of courts and recommends reforms (many of which are incorporated into the Tweed Commission report the next year) WCC testifies before the New York City Council in support of a City multiple dwelling code "to force the city to adopt a housing program that would provide for both low- and middle-income families" In 1958, WCC publishes "Before It's Too Late", focusing on the New York City Board of Education's methods for aiding "troubled children and children in trouble", which leads to the creation of the Division of Child Welfare WCC urges the Hospital Commissioner to make contraceptive advice available to patients
1960s
WCC calls for separate work camps for juvenile delinquents 16 to 21 years old and 21 to 25 years old In 1961, WCC issues proposals for a stronger Mayor and City Council to be included in the City Charter, and works with other civic groups to abolish the Board of Estimate In 1963, WCC sets up an Ad Hoc Committee on Integration in New York City amid the country's civil rights movement WCC participates in a March for Freedom and Jobs in Washington, D.C. In 1964, WCC supports a Brooklyn Bridge urban renewal plan, and criticizes the quantity of low-income housing and the City's plan to expand subway system In 1966, WCC issues "How Shall We Raise the Money? Proposals for Financing City Government"and "Performance and Promise: New York City's Local School Boards Revisited" In 1967, WCC advocates for merging City colleges into the City University of New York and recommends the decentralization of school boards WCC holds program "Proposals for a New Constitution: Recommendations to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1967" In 1969, WCC supports a bill for an all-out repeal of the State's Abortion Law
1970s
WCC's Housing Committee urges the City Planning Commission to resist requests from developers and property owners to change zoning to allow for more and larger buildings in already crowded areas of the City In 1971, WCC declares the Vietnam War is "detrimental to the welfare of our city" and that "the tensions and conflicts created by the war, the inflation aggravated by the war, and the billions of dollars absorbed by the war are preventing this city…from the vast and numerous problems which beset [it]" WCC criticizes the New York State legislature for drawing district lines without input from voters