Congress of Canadian Women

The Congress of Canadian Women (French: Congrès des femmes canadiennes) was a feminist organization created in March 1950 by the merger of several organizations, including the Housewives and Consumers Association. It was affiliated with the Women's International Democratic Federation.^[1] The Congress lobbied for women's equality including measures such as equal pay and public daycare.^[2] Rae Luckock was the organization's founding president.^[1] Former Labor-Progressive Party Member of Parliament Dorise Nielsen was also involved in founding the organization.^[3] The CCW was largely led by women associated with the communist Labor-Progressive Party^[4] and was also involved with the peace movement during the Cold War,^[5] facilitating meetings between people from the Soviet Union and Canadians, by inviting them to visit Canada.^[6]

There is a file of papers related to the Congress of Canadian Women in the Canadian Women's Movement Archive at the University of Ottawa Library.^[7] The Diefenbunker Museum in Ontario holds a peace campaign pin produced in the 1950s by the Congress of Canadian Women.^[8]

• Rae Luckock^[1][9]
• Dorise Nielsen^[3]
• Nora Rodd^[10][11]