{{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 Women's Enfranchisement Association of the Union (WEAU) was a women's organization in South Africa, founded in 1911.Ian Christopher Fletcher, Philippa Levine, Laura E. Nym Mayhall :
Women's Suffrage in the British Empire: Citizenship, Nation and Race
' It was the first women's suffrage organization in South Africa, as well as the main women's suffrage organization in South Africa, and played a major role in the campaign for womens' suffrage.

History

Background and foundation

Women's movement in South Africa began with the organization of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of the Cape Colony (WCTU) in 1889. The temperance movement supported women's suffrage because of the conviction that women would vote to ban or restrict alcohol, and in 1895, Julia Solly founded a women's suffrage section within the WCTU, which was the start point of the women's suffrage struggle in South Africa. In 1902, the Women's Enfranchisement League (WEL) was founded in

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as the first exclusive women's suffrage organisation in South Africa. After a number of local organisations was founded and a tour by

Carrie Chapman Catt Carrie Chapman Catt (born Carrie Clinton Lane; January 9, 1859#Fowler, Fowler, p. 3 – March 9, 1947) was an American women's suffrage leader who campaigned for the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave U.S. women t ...

, the local groups were all united to form the Women's Enfranchisement Association of the Union (WEAU) which became a member of the British Dominions Women's Suffrage Union as well as the

International Woman Suffrage Alliance The International Alliance of Women (IAW; , AIF) is an international non-governmental organization that works to promote women's rights and gender equality. It was historically the main international organization that campaigned for women's suff ...

Activity

The WEAU presented petitions to the Parliament of the National Convention in 1908–1909, 1912, 1920, 1921 and 1929. It published its own organ, the ''Woman's Outlook'' (1912-1922) and the ''Flashlight'' (1927-1930). The WEAU wished for women's vote on the same terms as men, which differed between the provinces and in some cases included also non-white women. The majority of the members of the WEAU were white English elite women. White Afrikaner women did not engage in the women's movement because of the disapproval of the powerful

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. Black women, were active within the ANC to fight racial segregation rather than involved in the women's movement. Because of this, the members were few; they were about 4,000 in 1918, and never became much more than that.

Closure

The South African government, with the approval of the British, ignored the issue and maintained status quo by referring to the complicated political situation of the unification of the South African provinces. In 1923, however, the Afrikaner population along with the

National Party National Party or Nationalist Party may refer to: Active parties * National Party of Australia, commonly known as ''The Nationals'' * Bangladesh: ** Bangladesh Nationalist Party ** Jatiya Party (Ershad) a.k.a. ''National Party (Ershad)'' * Californ ...

changed its attitude in favor of women's suffrage for white women, because it wished to enlarge the number of white voters. This changed the demands of the WEAU, who conformed to the demand which the government was willing to meet: that of suffrage for exclusively white women. When the petition of 1929 was presented, therefore, it was treated favorably by the government, which resulted in the introduction of

Women's Enfranchisement Act, 1930 The Women's Enfranchisement Act, 1930, was an act of the Parliament of South Africa which granted white women aged 21 and older the right to vote and to run for office. It also had the effect of diluting the limited voting power of non-white peo ...

President

* Mary Emma Macintosh, 1911-1915 * ''Vacant'', 1915-1916 *

Barbara Steel Barbara Steel ; 1857 – 22 December 1943) was a Scottish social activist who actively campaigned for Women's Suffrage in both the United Kingdom and South Africa. She was the first woman to stand in an election for the Edinburgh Town Council, ...

, 1916-1930

References

External links

* https://www.sahistory.org.za/archive/womens-suffrage-movement-politics-gender-race-and-class-cheryl-walker 1910s establishments in South Africa Feminism and history Feminist organisations in South Africa Organizations established in 1911 Social history of South Africa Voter rights and suffrage organizations Women's suffrage in South Africa