Dora B. Montefiore Justice 1907

Socialist Women’s Bureau


Source: Justice, p.3, November 9, 1907;
Transcribed: by Ted Crawford.


A preliminary meeting, called together by the committees of the S.D.F. Women’s Circles, was held at Chandos Hall, Maiden Lane, on Friday, November 1 with this object of starting a Socialist Women’s Bureau to affiliate with the Socialist Women’s Bureau of Germany and other countries, on the lines laid down at the recent International Conference of Socialist Women at Stuttgart. Delegates were present from the Fabian Society, the Committee of the S.D.F. Women’s Circles and the Adult Suffrage Society. It was decided that the proposed organisation should be called The Socialist Women’s Bureau (British), and that the object of the organisation should be “The establishment of regular communications between the organised Socialist women of all countries.” Mrs. Hendin was appointed hon. sec., for the convening of meetings, etc., and Mrs. Montefiore reporter, for getting into touch with Socialist women’s organisations abroad. A letter was read from the secretary of the I.L.P. in response to the invitation to send delegates to the preliminary meeting approach declining to be represented. It was decided to approach other Socialist organisations, such as the Women Clarion Scouts etc. so as to make the Bureau as representative and as useful as possible. Through the Bureau information from all affiliated countries on the subject of unemployment, of factory legislation, of municipal and political rights, of education and the feeding of school children, of prison reform, of State maintenance of mothers, and of the treatment of illegitimate children will be exchanged; and Socialist women of many countries will be kept in touch through the organ of “Gleichheit” (Equality), which will be published in French, English and German.

After some discussion it was decided that comrade Clara Zetkin of Stuttgart, at whose suggestion the Bureaux were being formed, should be written to, asking her for more definite information as to the basis of possible affiliation, in relation more especially to the Women Suffrage resolution passed at the International Women’s Conference

DORA B. MONTEFIORE