WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION (WIDF)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-00915R000600140010-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 41
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 6, 1998
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: October 1, 1956
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP78-009158000600140010-9
W~AMEI~T'~ II~'TERl~TATIOI~AL DEAROCRATIC FEDERATI?l~T ~~VIIDF~
A Compilation of Available Basic
Reference Data -- Affiliates and Parallel
Qrganizations, strength, Officers, Addresses,
Publications .
Based on Data Available
as of 1 October 196
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP78-009158000600140010-9
 Approved For Release 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP78-009158000600140010-9
WOMEN'S .INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION (WIDF)
A. Headquarters Address:
13, Unter den Linden
Berlin W 8, East Germany
B. Regional Offices:
None
C. Total. Claimed Membership Strength:
Affiliates in 76 countries and '"links with women leaders and
orgaru.zations in 13 other countries." (April 1956.)
"More than 200 million women in 80 countries...part;icipated together
with the WIDE, either as members, or in cooperation with and
support of the activitie's of the organization." (April 1956}
D. Official Publications:
Women~of the Whale World, official'manthly since 199:6
News in Brief, publishes periodically by the Secretariat
Special Information Bulletin, published. periodically since 1955
Information Bulletin, published irregularly
Documents and Current Events, published. irregularly by the Secretariat
Radio?Press Bulletin, published by the Secretariat or~~ an ad hoc basis
Miscellaneous WIDE propaganda literature, ranging from publication
of regularly issued special periodicals publicizing upcoming events
or post-event activity to leaflets and reports of the c;vents themselves..
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP78-009158000600140010-9
 Approved For Rele s IA-RDP78-009158000600140010-9
Special brochures on special topics; such as:
I Want To Liv M Ran Atomic Wea ons, a pamphlet
Children in F anco S sin, a pamphlet
For Their Ri is As Mothers, Workers, Citizens, a pamphlet
That The Ma Live ? African Women Arise, a pamphlet
The Women o Viet-Nam S eak To Us, a folder
Ha Childre in New Ghina, illustrated folder
Children Com First, illustrated folder about children in the USSR
The A eal of the Ja anese Women to Ban the Atom Bomb, issued
Secretary General
languages.
eport of the WIDF Investigative Commission to Korea,
es
Eugenie COTTON (France)
Prof. Erzebeth ANDICS (Hungary)
Dr. Andrea ANDREEN (Sweden)
Pushpamoyee BOSE (India)
Monica FELTON (Great Britain}
Branca FIALHO (Brazil)
Raicho HIRATSUKA (Japan)
Dolores IBARRURI ("Republican" Spain)
Ransome KUTI (Nigeria)
Ceza NABARAWI (Egypt)
Nina POPOVA (USSR)
TS_'AI Ch' ang: (;China:)
~"'`Maria-Maddalena ROSSI (It?a1y)
Marie?Claude VAILLANT?COUTURIER
(France )
Lilly WACHTER (Germany)
Angiola MINELLA (Italy)
Assistant Secrets ies General: Simone BERTRAND (France)
Zoya IVANOVA (USSR)
~ See pages 34-39 or a complete list of the WIDF Council and Control
Commission ele to d by the last WIDF Congress (June 195 31.
~ti~ti In April 1956 Ma ia-Maddalena ROSSI replaced Rita MONT?r'NA"'A of
Italy as Vice President,
Approved For Rele se 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP78-009158000600140010-9
 Approved For Release 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP78-009158000600140010-9
E. Executive Officers of the WIDF:.(Continued)
Secretaries: YANG Yun-yu (Ghina)
GREAT BRITAIN {two un,designated
re~pr~ea fentatives)
~'d-e~te' 1~`~U~'~ra.~i.cet}ed representative)
Other Executive Committee Members:
TENG Ying-ch'afl (Ch7xxa;)
Margarita de PONCE {Argentina)
Francoise LECLERC (France)
Officers of the Permanent International Committee of Mothers.
(1956-1957)-
President: Dr. Andrea ANDREEN (~iweden)
Secretary: Mrs. Dora Russell GRA(aE (Great Britain)
F. Regional Officers:
None
G. National Affiliates of the WIDF, or Parallel Qrganization:s:
Affiliates ~
1. ALBANIA
Parallel Organizations *~
a. Union of Albanian Women aka:
Albanian Women's. Union (or League)
(Bashkimi i-Grave to ShgipLris~)
'~ In view of the fact that the WIDF has not published a complete List of
its affiliates for many years and has also failed to identify by name the
organa.z.atlons that have been admitted to membership each year, the
above list may contain some inadvertent omissions or inaccuracies.
Parallel organizations are those ~hi:c~.generally support the objectives
and. activities of the WIDF but which are not definitely known to be
foxmally affiliated with such organization:
~r r T C' T
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP78-009158000600140010-9
 Approved For Rele ~e 0~~,0/~8~2~7 '- ~_ IA-RDP78,00915R000600140010-9
1. ALBANIA (Continued)
Parallel Organizations
Claimed stre gth: Over 246, 000
(June 1955 )
President: its KAPO (1955)
Publication: Woman of the New Albania
2. ALGERIA
a. Union of Algerian Women
(Union des F comes d'Algerie)
3, ARGENTINA
a. Union of Ar g
(Union de M
Publication:
Chairman:
ntine Women
jeres Argentinas, Ur~'A)
Our Women (Nue stray Muje re s )
argarita de PONCE
General Secretary: Fanny EDELMAN
Vice Presid nt: Irma OTHAR
Director, N estras Mu'eres? Matilde ALEMAN
Note: Nuest as Mujeres, a.
which had c rculated clan-
destinely pr'or to the down-
fall of the P ron regime,
claimed an ncrease in its
circulation rom 12, 000 b.
to 25, 000 i December '55,
after the ch nge in govern-
Women's Commission of the Move??
ment for the Democratization and
Independence of the Trade Unions
Secretary: Irma OTHAR (1956)
Wornen's Cultural Group
(Agrupacion Cultural Femina)
ment had permitted its c. Council of Childhood of Argentina
free circul ion. However, (Consejo de la Infancia Argentina)
in March 19 6, the UI~A
complained at "under
police prey ure, the shop
where the agazine was
printed ref se s to handle
the job and o do all other
printshops ' the capital
d?Federation of Comrr~unist Women
(Federation de MuJe.res Comunistasj
e. Jewish Se ~tion, League of the Rights
of Man
and elsewh re." UMA claims
it is still b ing published f. Junta of
despite "ex rernely difficult
conditions, " (~viay 195 61
Victory
Approved For Rele se 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP78-009158000600140010-9
 Approved For Release 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP78-009158000600140010-9
Affiliate s
3. ARGENTINA (Continued)
Parallel Organizations
g. Union of Spanish Women in
Argentina
(Union de lviujeres Espanolas en
la Argentina)
h. Associations for ttie Rights of
Children
(Asociaciones por los Derechos
dehl Nii}o~
i. Mot ers ommittees
4, AUSTRALIA
a. Union of Australian Women a. Union of Cafe, Hotel and Re stau-
Acting Secretary: rant Workers of New South Wales
Enid HAMPSON (1956)
b. Women's Cornmitte a of the Water -
side Workers Federation
5. AUSTRIA
a. Democratic Union of Auustxian a. ,Austrian Society for the Defense
y~~n, of Children
(Demokratischer Frauen Bund Note: Formed in Autumn 1951
Oesterxeichs) (April 1952)
Secretary: Irma SCHWAGER (1955)
Publications Women's Voice (Stimme der Frau)
6. BELGIUM
a. Union of Belgian Women a. Assembly of Women
(Union des Femmes Belges) (R:assemblernent des Femmes) aka
Pub]a.cation: Women's Assembly for Peace and
Women In Life (lci~6) Progres s
{Rrnmes dans la Vie) President: Mrs. Francine I.YNA
(195 6;-
Vice Presidents:
Jacqueline VALKENIERS (aka
VALK.ENEERS, VALKERNES)
Mme. BURGOS
Secretaries: Jeanne MULLIER
O. BERGHMANS
Marie GUISSE
Approved .For Release 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP78-009158000600140010-9
 Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : C1A-RDP78-009158000600140010-9
8. BRAZIL
Parallel Organizations
a. Association for the Rights of
Women
(Asociacion Pro De;rechos de la
Mujer)
b. Democratic Circle of Bolivian
Women
(Circulo Democratj.co de Mujerea
Bolivianas )
a. Women's Federation of
Brazil
(Federa~ao de Mulhere s
do Brasil, FMB)
President: Branca ~ ~~-""~~-'-?~-~
FIALHO (195 6 )
~~',,,,~.-~. .General Secretary: ~,, -; ;