Dora Montefiore

Socialist Women’s Bureau

To the Editors of “The New Age”

Source: New Age, November 14, 1907, p. 59 (336 words)
Transcription: Ted Crawford
HTML Markup: Brian Reid
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2007). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.


A preliminary meeting. called together by a Committee of the S.D.F. Women’s Circles, was held at Chandos Hall. Maiden Lane, on Friday, November 1st, with the 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, 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 subjects of Unemployment, of Factory Legislation, of Municipal and Political Rights, of Education and the feeding of school children, of Prison Reform, of State Maintenance for mothers, and the treatment of illegitimate children, will be exchanged; and Socialist women of many countries will be kept in touch with each other 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 Bureaus are being formed, should be written to, asking her for more definite information as to the bases of possible affiliation, in relation more especially to the Woman Suffrage Resolution passed at the International Women’s Conference.

DORA B. MONTEFIORE