Voice of Women : The Voice of Women was founded on 28 July 1960 at a mass meeting in Toronto's Massey Hall. Its aim was to promote peace and disarmament and in particular to crusade against the threat of nuclear war. The group was comprised of women and designed to appeal directly to women. In September 1960 a national office was opened in Toronto, Ontario. Numerous branches were established across the country and their activities co-ordinated by the National Central Committee, which was the policy-making body of the Voice of Women.
The Voice of Women lobbied Canadian and foreign governments as well as other national and international organizations in the interest of promoting world peace. In doing this it sent delegations of women to Ottawa and around the world, gave press conferences, held public meetings, produced radio and television shows, wrote letters, and published newsletters. Prime ministers, cabinet ministers, members of Parliament and other officials were contacted. Members met with other women's organizations and women's peace groups and attended many national and international conferences. The Voice of Women attempted to unite women around the world in the cause of the attainment of peace.
Voice of Women members travelled to many parts of the world and participated in exchanges with women from such countries as Vietnam and the U.S.S.R. Studies were undertaken and briefs presented to special boards and committees such as the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada and the Senate Science Committee as well as NATO, NORAD, and UNESCO.
Gradually the Voice of Women began to concern itself with a variety of social issues such as: the status of women; the preservation of the environment in the face of increasing development; the preservation of the Canadian north; the dangers of atomic energy and of biological and chemical warfare; the safeguarding of human rights and civil liberties; the treatment of prisoners in Vietnam, Chile, Greece and Spain; violence on television and war toys; the economic domination of Canada by multinational corporations; the political domination of Canada by military alliances and the testing of nuclear weapons.
The major preoccupation of the Voice of Women became the war in Vietnam. The Voice of Women called for an end to the war and provided aid to its victims. As part of the project Canadian Aid for Vietnam Civilians, the Ontario Voice of Women established the Knitting Project for Vietnamese Children. Other Voice of Women activities included participation in International Co-operation Year and International Women's Year. During Canada's Centennial Year they organized the International Conference of Women for Peace which attracted 300 delegates from 30 countries. Some Voice of Women members obtained positions in such organizations as the Science Council of Canada, the Human Rights Commission, the Council on the Status of Women, as well as university senates, school boards and city councils.
Among those identified with this group was Grace Hartman, former president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
