About IWAC
Originally set up in 1972 as the New York Women's Anthropology Caucus, IWAC changed its name when it became accredited as a roster organization at the United Nations NGO Branch. Since 1974 the International Women's Anthropology Conference (IWAC) has been active at the U.N. and elsewhere promoting women's rights and encouraging scholars and activists in their work towards this goal.
Our Story
Foundation - New York Women's Anthropology Caucus
In 1972 the New York Women's Anthropology Caucus was formed by a group of women anthropologists who felt the need to examine critically anthropological writings from a feminist perspective, to encourage new research, and to identify and challenge the sexist academic practices that women students and professionals faced. Founding members were Eleanor Leacock, Ruby Rohrlich-Leavitt, and Constance Sutton.
NYWAC 1974 - 1976
In November 1974 the group changed its name to the New York Women's Anthropology Conference (NYWAC) and became an official not-for-profit organization registered in the state of New York.
A central aim of NYWAC from its first meeting forward was to offer an analysis from their distinct perspective as women. NYWAC worked to bridge the gap between activism and academia through their support of women workers who were on strike to demand better working conditions around New York. NYWAC crossed age and status lines in its membership which consisted of women anthropologists who held academic appointments, women working in "applied fields," and women graduate students.
IWAC 1976 - present
Increasingly as the international aspects of the women's movement gained ascendancy and as more women anthropologists engaged in field research around the world, NYWAC turned its focus to the international arena. NYWAC renamed itself the International Women's Anthropology Conference (IWAC) in May 1976.
UN Accreditation
In 1982 IWAC sought and achieved status as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in consultative status with the United Nation's Economic and Social Council. Through this relationship it has had continued access to activities, conferences, and programs of the United Nations and has brought together an international network of anthropologists interested in research on women informed by a cross-cultural perspective.
IWAC sought to influence international policies concerning women from its unique anthropological perspective. IWAC became involved in organizing activities related to the End of the Decade UN World Conference on Women held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1985. This prompted members to publish the first issue of a series of fifteen newsletters to promote of an international exchange of data, research, and feminist perspectives.
IWAC Through Its People
Over the years, IWAC has been shaped by the vision and dedication of individuals who helped define its direction and impact. Their contributions - whether in founding, research, or advocacy - continue to influence the organisation’s work today.
June Nash
"The past is a general state in which our ancestors lived. The future is, at most, a
recapitulation of the past” (June Nash, 1970)
Marisa G. Ruiz Trejo
Connie Sutton
"Connie was a true ethnographer with a sharp ear and eye for people's
thinking and behavior, upon which she theorized, leading to such conceptualizations
as collective consciousness and action, transnational connections, and international
feminisms" (Linda Basch, 2019)
Linda Basch
Sheila Dauer
"Over the course of a five-decade career, she reimagined human rights law through the particularizing lens of cultural diversity. Among her major achievements were her accomplishments in elevating the issue of women’s rights to a status equal to that of universal and national human rights" (Janet Chernela, 2025)
Janet Chernela
