Overview

The University Women’s Association (UWA),Pune, was established in 1949 when a group of prominent women from Pune including Ms. Shantabai Bhandarkar, our Founder Member, Ms Sane and Ms Khan started an association called ‘Women Graduates’ Union’, a voluntary organization that strove to educate and empower women from the disadvantaged classes. The commitment of these pioneers was matched by their competence and determination. They were sensitive and responsive to a woman’s need to be educated and also understood a working woman’s urgent requirement for a safe and secure place to stay in. In 1975 the UWA members started working actively towards building a working women’s hostel. The UWA, Pune, is an affiliate of Indian Federation of University Women's ssociations-IFUWA, founded in 1920.IFUWA co-ordinates the activities of fourteen University Women's Associations (UWAs) located in different Indian cities. IFUWA in turn is affiliated to the Graduate Women International (GWI) founded in 1919 as International Federation of University Women (IFUW). Its headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland and has national affiliates in about 60 countries and individual members in more than 40 others. It is one of the few women's NGOs with consultative status in UNESCO and UN Committees, promoting lifelong education for women and girls, international cooperation, friendship, peace and respect for human rights ,irrespective of their age, race, nationality, religion, gender and political opinion. It advocates the advancement of status of women and girls and anables them to apply their knowledge and skills in leadership and decision making in all forms of public and private life.