CWLU Projects

Projects grew out of Liberation School classes, CWLU chapters and CWLU workgroups. Some predated CWLU.

Abortion Clinic Evaluation Project

After the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973 legalized abortion, it became obvious that an evaluation of abortion providers was desperately needed. HERS organized the Abortion Clinic Evaluation Project to help women find decent and humane abortion services and help expose abortion providers who were doing a poor job.
READ MORE... [ABORTION CLINIC EVALUATION PROJECT] 

Chicago Women's Labor History Group

The Chicago Women's Labor History Group originally came together as part of a Liberation School class. They produced a slide show of Chicago women's labor history.

Committee to End Sterilization Abuse

Sterilization of women for "population control" or for unnecessary "medical" reasons was a serious problem that the Committee to End Sterilization Abuse(CESA), tried to address. Started with the help of several prominent Hispanic organizations, CESA was able to reach out beyond the CWLU's traditionally largely white membership.

Play Groups

With colorful names like Little Porcupines and Sojourner Truth, these cooperative childcare groups helped CWLU mothers to remain active in the organization. 

UIC Women's Studies Program

An outgrowth of the CWLU affiliated Circle Women's Union (UIC was then known as the University of Illinois-Circle Campus), the UIC Gender and Women's Studies Program is still going strong.

Speakers’ Bureau

The Speakers’ Bureau and speakers policy arose shortly after the CWLU was formed. It was the time when people were interested in getting a women’s liberation spokeswoman on every talk show, church forum and college campus in the country. When requests came to the Union we would at first suggest women representatives from our membership who volunteered to speak publicly.  

List of Projects

Year Formed    Project
1967    Women's Radical Action Project (WRAP)
1970    Speakers’ Bureau
1970    ACLU Caucus
1970    Play Groups
1970    Political Education Committee
1972    Abortion Clinic Evaluation Project
1973    Chicago Women's Labor History Group
1973    National Outreach Committee
1974    Committee to End Sterilization Abuse
1975    UIC Women's Studies Program
1975    Gay Caucus for APHA
1976    ERA Mobilization