Independent Women's Forum
Encyclopedia
The Independent Women's Forum (IWF) is an American
conservative
, non-profit, non-partisan research and educational institution focused on domestic and foreign policy
issues of concern to women. In 2006, the group whose ideology is economic conservative, had 20,337 members and a budget of $1.05 million.
The group advocates "equity feminism," a term first used by IWF author Christina Hoff Sommers
to distinguish conservative feminism from what she refers to as "gender feminism," which she claims opposes gender roles as well as patriarchy
. According to Sommers, the gender feminist view is "the prevailing ideology among contemporary feminist philosophers and leaders" and "thrives on the myth that American women are the oppressed 'second sex.'" Sommers' equity feminism has been described as anti-feminist by critics.
As the organization's slogan—"All Issues are Women's Issues"—suggests, IWF members seek to participate in policy discussions not only about issues commonly referred to as "women's rights
," but also about such topics as national defense
and foreign policy
. According to its mission statement, IWF "builds greater respect for limited government, equality under the law, property rights, free markets, strong families, and a powerful and effective national defense and foreign policy."
IWF-affiliated commentators, but not necessarily staff members, have appeared in print, television, and radio venues as well as conferences sponsored by the organization. The Independent Women's Forum also sponsors book projects and scholarly articles and offers awards to highlight women who they believe make positive contributions to society.
, Anita K. Blair
, and Barbara Olson
in 1992, the IWF grew out of the ad hoc
group, "Women for Judge Thomas," that was created to defend Clarence Thomas
against allegations of sexual harassment and other improprieties. By 1996 the organization had some 700 dues-paying members who met regularly at luncheons to network and share ideas.
Since Silberman, presidents of IWF have included Nancy M. Pfotenhauer
and Anita Blair. The current executive director of the organization is Nicole Kurokawa Neily.
The IWF has been described as "a virtual 'Who's Who' of Washington's Republican establishment." People for the American Way
, which is critical of the organization, describes IWF as "a secular counterpart to Religious Right
women’s groups like Eagle Forum
and Concerned Women for America
", although the latter two are antifeminist groups whereas IWF advocates equity feminism. As a secular organization, IWF takes no official position on abortion
or same-sex marriage
. In October 2003, the IWF announced an affiliation with Citizens for a Sound Economy
, now Americans For Prosperity
, with whom it shares its premises.
positions." Some critical writers have asserted that feminist rhetoric is used by the IWF for anti-feminist ends.
, who is affiliated with IWF and is a professor of psychology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
, notably criticized an MIT
study on discrimination against women in MIT's science department, calling their findings "junk science
."
. Instead, they argue that any disparity that exists between the wages earned by men and women can be accounted for by women's demand for flexibility, fewer hours, and less travel in their careers. In an article for the Dallas Morning News, IWF Vice-President for Policy and Economics and work-from-home mother Carrie Lukas argues that,
Linda Chavez
credits Women's Figures: An Illustrated Guide to the Economic Progress of Women in America, a 1999 book published in part by the IWF, with "debunk[ing] much of the feminists' voodoo economics." John Stossel
has cited Michelle Bernard's 2007 book Women's Progress as evidence that "American women have never enjoyed more options or such a high quality of life."
wrote the 2006 book The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex, and Feminism, the seventh book in the Politically Incorrect Guide series from Regnery Press. In the book, Lukas argues that modern-day feminism seeks to aggrandize government programs in ways that would have the effect of reducing women's autonomy. In an interview about the book, Lukas asserts that,
and The Lancet Oncology, of government-run healthcare in the UK and the current U.S. healthcare system. She said "...if we had survival rates at what Britain had, there would be about 300,000 American women who would have died over the past decade". Media Matters
and FactCheck
said the video unnecessarily appealed to women's fears. Rachel Maddow
described it as another in a string of conservative attacks.
's Office for Civil Rights
has enforced Title IX
gender equality legislation. The 1972 Title IX law that states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." According to IWF senior fellow Christine Stolba, the law has resulted in a number of negative, unintended consequence
s. Elaborating on the group's position, Stolba asserts,
In support of the group's claims that—absent current Title IX enforcement—men are more likely to enroll in collegiate athletic programs than women, the IWF conducted a 1998 survey that examined the percentage of students at all-women's schools participating in athletics compared to the percentage of female students participating in similar programs at undergraduate schools generally. The survey found that female students at co-educational
schools are far more likely to be student athletes. Jeremy Rabkin cited the survey in an April 1999 article in the American Spectator, asking, "If 'discrimination' keeps down the proportion of women athletes at co-ed schools, what accounts for overall participation rates that are half of the national women's average at Bryn Mawr
, Mount Holyoke
, Wellesley, and Smith
?"
project. The effort targets in part what the organization describes as the negative results of the Women's Educational Equity Act
. According to researcher Krista Kafer, whose report was published by the IWF,
The creation of this project was also largely a reaction to the National Organization for Women
's vocal opposition to single-sex schools, which decried such arrangements as unacceptable modern examples of segregation.
After rape accusations against Duke University
lacrosse players surfaced in March 2006, the IWF was quick to call attention to the fact that the parties involved in the case were receiving much attention in the press, something that would be harmful to their reputations regardless of the ultimate legal outcome. In April 2006, Carrie Lukas of the IWF said,
Columnist Michael Gaynor, writing for Alan Keyes
' organization Renew America, noted IWF's early criticism of the school's and the district attorney's mishandling of the case, saying, "The Independent Women's Forum's Charlotte Allen figured out early that the real scandal was the way the players were mistreated and her posts during April of 2006 on the IWF website showed a commendable concern with due process and evidence instead of rushing to an erroneous misjudgment."
. This emphasis is reflected by high-profile, sometimes controversial work on college campuses where IWF sponsors advertising campaigns and literature distribution to promote its views. One such effort included the running of advertisements with provocative headings such as "The Ten Most Common Feminist Myths." IWF also offers internships in its Washington, D.C. offices and sponsors an annual essay contest open to full-time female undergraduate students.
As a reaction to reports of growing promiscuity on college campuses and the V-Day
movement founded by Eve Ensler
, IWF created its "Take Back the Date" campus program to "reclaim Valentine's Day
from radical feminists on campus who use a day of love and romance to promote vulgar and promiscuous behavior through activities like The Vagina Monologues
." Specifically addressing the controversial play, IWF's "Take Back the Date" release states that, "although the play raises money for a good cause, the hyper-sexualized play counteracts the positive contributions of the feminist movement and degrades women." The IWF program's advice for Valentine's Day states:
In an article in The Guardian
, one critic claimed that the program was merely "[r]evamping outdated notions of femininity and positioning them as cutting edge."
Since its founding, IWF has sponsored numerous conferences, panels, and other programs designed to promote its message to an international audience. These primarily include activities and events discussing or taking place in the countries of Iraq
and Afghanistan
, and focus on promoting female participation in democracy.
In October 2004, the Feminist Majority Foundation
objected to the U.S. Department of State's decision to award part of a grant to IWF for "leadership training, democracy education and coalition building assistance" to women in Iraq
, claiming that, "the IWF represents a small group of right-wing wheeler-dealers inside the Beltway." IWF's work in Iraq is in concert with that of the American Islamic Conference and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a neo-conservative think tank
.
as being "largely funded by the conservative movement." Sources of funding include three of Richard Mellon Scaife
's four Scaife Foundations
. A full breakdown of foundation donors is given below:
* Scaife Foundations
The board is chaired by investment fund executive Heather Higgins
with other members Mary Arnold, Carol T. Crawford, Jennifer Ashworth Dinh, Randy Parris Kendrick and Larry Kudlow. These staff are complemented by 'directors emeritae'; these include Second Lady of the United States
Lynne V. Cheney, neoconservative writer Midge Decter
, Kimberly O. Dennis, the Mercatus Center
's Wendy Lee Gramm
, Elizabeth Lurie, Washington editor of National Review
Kate O'Beirne
, and Louise V. Oliver.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, non-profit, non-partisan research and educational institution focused on domestic and foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
issues of concern to women. In 2006, the group whose ideology is economic conservative, had 20,337 members and a budget of $1.05 million.
The group advocates "equity feminism," a term first used by IWF author Christina Hoff Sommers
Christina Hoff Sommers
Christina Hoff Sommers is an American author and former philosophy professor who is known for her critique of late 20th century feminism, and her writings about feminism in contemporary American culture...
to distinguish conservative feminism from what she refers to as "gender feminism," which she claims opposes gender roles as well as patriarchy
Patriarchy
Patriarchy is a social system in which the role of the male as the primary authority figure is central to social organization, and where fathers hold authority over women, children, and property. It implies the institutions of male rule and privilege, and entails female subordination...
. According to Sommers, the gender feminist view is "the prevailing ideology among contemporary feminist philosophers and leaders" and "thrives on the myth that American women are the oppressed 'second sex.'" Sommers' equity feminism has been described as anti-feminist by critics.
As the organization's slogan—"All Issues are Women's Issues"—suggests, IWF members seek to participate in policy discussions not only about issues commonly referred to as "women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
," but also about such topics as national defense
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
and foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
. According to its mission statement, IWF "builds greater respect for limited government, equality under the law, property rights, free markets, strong families, and a powerful and effective national defense and foreign policy."
IWF-affiliated commentators, but not necessarily staff members, have appeared in print, television, and radio venues as well as conferences sponsored by the organization. The Independent Women's Forum also sponsors book projects and scholarly articles and offers awards to highlight women who they believe make positive contributions to society.
Origin and history
Founded by Rosalie (Ricky) Gaull SilbermanRosalie (Ricky) Gaull Silberman
Ricky Silberman was an American conservative activist who, with Barbara Olson, co-founded the Independent Women's Forum.-Biography:...
, Anita K. Blair
Anita K. Blair
Anita K. Blair was one of the co-founders of the Independent Women's Forum and served as United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 2001 to 2006 and as acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 2008.-Biography:Anita K...
, and Barbara Olson
Barbara Olson
Barbara Olson was a lawyer and conservative American television commentator who worked for CNN, Fox News Channel, and several other outlets...
in 1992, the IWF grew out of the ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
group, "Women for Judge Thomas," that was created to defend Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Succeeding Thurgood Marshall, Thomas is the second African American to serve on the Court....
against allegations of sexual harassment and other improprieties. By 1996 the organization had some 700 dues-paying members who met regularly at luncheons to network and share ideas.
Since Silberman, presidents of IWF have included Nancy M. Pfotenhauer
Nancy Pfotenhauer
Nancy Mitchell Pfotenhauer is currently the president of MediaSpeak Strategies. She was former Senior Policy Advisor and National Spokesperson with the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign and political commentator on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC She was also former Executive Vice President of...
and Anita Blair. The current executive director of the organization is Nicole Kurokawa Neily.
The IWF has been described as "a virtual 'Who's Who' of Washington's Republican establishment." People for the American Way
People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy group in the United States. Under U.S. tax code, People For the American Way is organized as a tax-exempt 501 non-profit organization.-Purpose:...
, which is critical of the organization, describes IWF as "a secular counterpart to Religious Right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
women’s groups like Eagle Forum
Eagle Forum
Eagle Forum is a conservative interest group in the United States founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972 and is the parent organization that also includes the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund and the Eagle Forum PAC. The Eagle Forum has been primarily focused on social issues; it describes...
and Concerned Women for America
Concerned Women for America
Concerned Women for America is a conservative Christian public policy group active in the United States best known for its stance against abortion...
", although the latter two are antifeminist groups whereas IWF advocates equity feminism. As a secular organization, IWF takes no official position on abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
or same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
. In October 2003, the IWF announced an affiliation with Citizens for a Sound Economy
Citizens for a Sound Economy
Citizens for a Sound Economy was a conservative political group operating in the United States, whose self-described mission was "to fight for less government, lower taxes, and less regulation." In 2004, Citizens for a Sound Economy split into two new organizations, with Citizens for a Sound...
, now Americans For Prosperity
Americans for Prosperity
Americans for Prosperity is a Washington, D.C.–based political advocacy group. According to their literature, they promote economic policy that supports business, and restrains regulation by government...
, with whom it shares its premises.
Opposition to other feminist groups
IWF challenges what it calls "radical feministRadical feminism
Radical feminism is a current theoretical perspective within feminism that focuses on the theory of patriarchy as a system of power that organizes society into a complex of relationships based on an assumption that "male supremacy" oppresses women...
positions." Some critical writers have asserted that feminist rhetoric is used by the IWF for anti-feminist ends.
Women in the sciences
Judith KleinfeldJudith Kleinfeld
Judith Smilg Kleinfeld is a professor of Psychology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and co-chairs the Northern Studies department.A controversial academician, her most well known works are the ones criticizing studies on alleged discrimination in educational settings. Her analyzed the...
, who is affiliated with IWF and is a professor of psychology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....
, notably criticized an MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
study on discrimination against women in MIT's science department, calling their findings "junk science
Junk science
Junk science is a term used in U.S. political and legal disputes that brands an advocate's claims about scientific data, research, or analyses as spurious. The term may convey a pejorative connotation that the advocate is driven by political, ideological, financial, or other unscientific...
."
Disputing the "gender gap"
On a broader scale, IWF-affiliated writers have assailed the assertion that an income "gender gap" exists because of institutional misogynyMisogyny
Misogyny is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Philogyny, meaning fondness, love or admiration towards women, is the antonym of misogyny. The term misandry is the term for men that is parallel to misogyny...
. Instead, they argue that any disparity that exists between the wages earned by men and women can be accounted for by women's demand for flexibility, fewer hours, and less travel in their careers. In an article for the Dallas Morning News, IWF Vice-President for Policy and Economics and work-from-home mother Carrie Lukas argues that,
- In truth, I'm the cause of the wage gap – I and hundreds of thousands of women like me. I have a good education and have worked full time for 10 years. Yet throughout my career, I've made things other than money a priority. ...[W]omen tend to place a higher priority on flexibility and personal fulfillment than do men, who focus more on pay. Women tend to avoid jobs that require travel or relocation, and they take more time off and spend fewer hours in the office than men do. Men disproportionately take on the most dirty, dangerous and depressing jobs.
Linda Chavez
Linda Chavez
Linda Chavez is an American author, commentator, and radio talk show host. She is also a Fox News analyst, Chairman of the Center for Equal Opportunity, has a syndicated column that appears in newspapers nationwide each week, and sits on the Board of Directors of two Fortune 1000 companies:...
credits Women's Figures: An Illustrated Guide to the Economic Progress of Women in America, a 1999 book published in part by the IWF, with "debunk[ing] much of the feminists' voodoo economics." John Stossel
John Stossel
John F. Stossel is an American consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author and libertarian columnist. In October 2009 Stossel left his long time home on ABC News to join the Fox Business Channel and Fox News Channel, both owned and operated by News Corp...
has cited Michelle Bernard's 2007 book Women's Progress as evidence that "American women have never enjoyed more options or such a high quality of life."
Politically Incorrect Guide To Women, Sex and Feminism
IWF Vice-President for Policy and Economics Carrie LukasCarrie Lukas
Carrie L. Lukas is the managing director and director of policy for the conservative but non-partisan Independent Women's Forum . She is also a senior fellow at the Goldwater Institute and a contributor to National Review Online. Before her tenure at the IWF, Lukas worked for then U.S...
wrote the 2006 book The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex, and Feminism, the seventh book in the Politically Incorrect Guide series from Regnery Press. In the book, Lukas argues that modern-day feminism seeks to aggrandize government programs in ways that would have the effect of reducing women's autonomy. In an interview about the book, Lukas asserts that,
- [T]he feminist movement, instead of appreciating the success it has had and the fact that women now do have all these opportunities, keeps pushing for more. They want bigger government programs–they see the government as something that should really replace the role that families used to play in women's lives. They want Uncle Sam to be our new provider, take care of us, and provide health care, free day care, and welfare. They also see government as the solution for all of women's problems. I think that is one of the ways in which they have betrayed the idea of individuals making their own decisions, and living with the consequences of those decisions. Now they want taxpayers to bear the costs of women's decisions.
United States healthcare policy
In 2009, IWF produced a television advertisement run on YouTube and in eight states that said that "300,000 American women with breast cancer might have died" if healthcare is reformed to include a public option in the United States. Nichole Kurokawa, senior policy analyst for IWF, compared studies, conducted by the Lewin Group which is part of UnitedHealthUnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is a diversified health and "well-being" company. Headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, UnitedHealth Group offers a spectrum of products and services through two operating businesses: United Healthcare and Optum. Through its family of subsidiaries and divisions,...
and The Lancet Oncology, of government-run healthcare in the UK and the current U.S. healthcare system. She said "...if we had survival rates at what Britain had, there would be about 300,000 American women who would have died over the past decade". Media Matters
Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America is a politically progressive media watchdog group which says it is "dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." Set up as a 501 non-profit organization, MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and...
and FactCheck
FactCheck
FactCheck.org is a non-partisan, nonprofit website that describes itself as a consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics." It is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University...
said the video unnecessarily appealed to women's fears. Rachel Maddow
Rachel Maddow
Rachel Anne Maddow is an American television host and political commentator. Maddow hosts a nightly television show, The Rachel Maddow Show, on MSNBC. Her syndicated talk radio program, The Rachel Maddow Show, aired on Air America Radio...
described it as another in a string of conservative attacks.
Education policy and campus programs
The Forum is active in education policy discussions and focuses on a number of different issues both in primary/secondary education and higher education.Title IX enforcement
Since shortly after the organization's inception, the IWF has joined with groups like the National Wrestling Coaches Association in opposing the manner in which the United States Department of EducationUnited States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
's Office for Civil Rights
Office for Civil Rights
The Office for Civil Rights is a sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Education that is primarily focused on protecting civil rights in Federally assisted education programs and prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, age, or membership in patriotic...
has enforced Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
gender equality legislation. The 1972 Title IX law that states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." According to IWF senior fellow Christine Stolba, the law has resulted in a number of negative, unintended consequence
Unintended consequence
In the social sciences, unintended consequences are outcomes that are not the outcomes intended by a purposeful action. The concept has long existed but was named and popularised in the 20th century by American sociologist Robert K. Merton...
s. Elaborating on the group's position, Stolba asserts,
- The (women's forum) is often accused of opposing Title IX. But we don't oppose Title IX.... What we're opposing is the way the Office for Civil Rights chooses to enforce Title IX. Given their regulations, colleges are enforcing statistical proportionality.... Common sense and poll data suggest that men are more interested in playing sports than women. But there are more female students than male. It becomes a numbers game, where the number of athletes has to be proportional. The easiest way to do that is to cut men's teams.
In support of the group's claims that—absent current Title IX enforcement—men are more likely to enroll in collegiate athletic programs than women, the IWF conducted a 1998 survey that examined the percentage of students at all-women's schools participating in athletics compared to the percentage of female students participating in similar programs at undergraduate schools generally. The survey found that female students at co-educational
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
schools are far more likely to be student athletes. Jeremy Rabkin cited the survey in an April 1999 article in the American Spectator, asking, "If 'discrimination' keeps down the proportion of women athletes at co-ed schools, what accounts for overall participation rates that are half of the national women's average at Bryn Mawr
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
, Mount Holyoke
Mount Holyoke
Mount Holyoke, a traprock mountain, elevation , is the western-most peak of the Holyoke Range and part of the 100-mile Metacomet Ridge. The mountain is located in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts, and is the namesake of nearby Mount Holyoke College. The mountain is located in...
, Wellesley, and Smith
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
?"
Advocacy for school choice
In response to falling test scores in American public elementary, middle, and high schools, particularly among young boys, IWF created its Women For School ChoiceSchool choice
School choice is a term used to describe a wide array of programs aimed at giving families the opportunity to choose the school their children will attend. As a matter of form, school choice does not give preference to one form of schooling or another, rather manifests itself whenever a student...
project. The effort targets in part what the organization describes as the negative results of the Women's Educational Equity Act
Women's Educational Equity Act
The Women's Educational Equity Act of 1974 is one of the several landmark laws passed by the United States Congress outlining federal protections against the gender discrimination of women in education. WEAA was enacted as part of P.L. 93-380...
. According to researcher Krista Kafer, whose report was published by the IWF,
- WEEA is a solution without a problem. The program wastes money that would be better spent on actual crises--boys' literacy for example--or returned to taxpayers.... Girls are more engaged and ambitious in school, while boys are more likely to suffer academic and behavioral problems.
The creation of this project was also largely a reaction to the National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
's vocal opposition to single-sex schools, which decried such arrangements as unacceptable modern examples of segregation.
2006 Duke University lacrosse case
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
lacrosse players surfaced in March 2006, the IWF was quick to call attention to the fact that the parties involved in the case were receiving much attention in the press, something that would be harmful to their reputations regardless of the ultimate legal outcome. In April 2006, Carrie Lukas of the IWF said,
- At Duke, a woman has accused three men of raping her. Two have been indicted. We know the names of the accused; we've seen their pictures; their lives will never be the same.... Perhaps the evidence will show they... committed the heinous crime of rape. If so, they will be and they should be severely punished. Yet the media so quick to sensationalize the accuser's account and condemn the lacrosse players now is revealing facts suggesting that the accused might be innocent of this crime.
Columnist Michael Gaynor, writing for Alan Keyes
Alan Keyes
Alan Lee Keyes is an American conservative political activist, author, former diplomat, and perennial candidate for public office. A doctoral graduate of Harvard University, Keyes began his diplomatic career in the U.S...
' organization Renew America, noted IWF's early criticism of the school's and the district attorney's mishandling of the case, saying, "The Independent Women's Forum's Charlotte Allen figured out early that the real scandal was the way the players were mistreated and her posts during April of 2006 on the IWF website showed a commendable concern with due process and evidence instead of rushing to an erroneous misjudgment."
Campus programs
The organization emphasizes traditional family roles and cultural norms as essential for civil society. In particular, IWF encourages young women to embrace what it presents as a healthy attitude towards dating, courtship, and marriageMarriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
. This emphasis is reflected by high-profile, sometimes controversial work on college campuses where IWF sponsors advertising campaigns and literature distribution to promote its views. One such effort included the running of advertisements with provocative headings such as "The Ten Most Common Feminist Myths." IWF also offers internships in its Washington, D.C. offices and sponsors an annual essay contest open to full-time female undergraduate students.
As a reaction to reports of growing promiscuity on college campuses and the V-Day
V-Day
V-Day, February 14th, is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls inspired by Eve Ensler's play, The Vagina Monologues. The movement was started in 1998 by author, playwright and activist Eve Ensler. Ensler has been quoted as saying that it was women's reactions to the...
movement founded by Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler is an American playwright, performer, feminist and activist, best known for her play The Vagina Monologues.- Personal life :...
, IWF created its "Take Back the Date" campus program to "reclaim Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
from radical feminists on campus who use a day of love and romance to promote vulgar and promiscuous behavior through activities like The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
." Specifically addressing the controversial play, IWF's "Take Back the Date" release states that, "although the play raises money for a good cause, the hyper-sexualized play counteracts the positive contributions of the feminist movement and degrades women." The IWF program's advice for Valentine's Day states:
- Guys: Take women out. Open doors. Buy them flowers. Women: Let guys take you out. If you like a guy, ask him out yourself. Pass out IWF's [literature] on campus as a way to restore chivalry and personal responsibility among students.
In an article in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, one critic claimed that the program was merely "[r]evamping outdated notions of femininity and positioning them as cutting edge."
International programs
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and focus on promoting female participation in democracy.
In October 2004, the Feminist Majority Foundation
Feminist Majority Foundation
The Feminist Majority Foundation is a non-profit organization in the United States dedicated to Women's Equality, Reproductive Health and Non-Violence, headquartered in Arlington County, Virginia. The name Feminist Majority comes from a 1986 Newsweek/Gallup public opinion poll in which 56 percent...
objected to the U.S. Department of State's decision to award part of a grant to IWF for "leadership training, democracy education and coalition building assistance" to women in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, claiming that, "the IWF represents a small group of right-wing wheeler-dealers inside the Beltway." IWF's work in Iraq is in concert with that of the American Islamic Conference and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a neo-conservative think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
.
Sources of funding
The IWF operates through funds provided by donor organizations. It has been described by the left-wing group MediaTransparencyMediaTransparency
MediaTransparency was a left leaning political project begun in 1999 which monitors the financial ties of conservative think tanks to conservative foundations in the United States. Its database tracks over 50,000 grants awarded since 1985, which total more than $3.2 billion USD. It was run by...
as being "largely funded by the conservative movement." Sources of funding include three of Richard Mellon Scaife
Richard Mellon Scaife
Richard Mellon Scaife is an American newspaper publisher and billionaire. Scaife owns and publishes the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. With $1.2 billion, Scaife, a principal heir to the Mellon banking, oil, and aluminum fortune, is No...
's four Scaife Foundations
Scaife Foundations
The Scaife Foundations refer collectively to four foundations: the Allegheny Foundation, the Carthage Foundation, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, and the Scaife Family Foundation. The organizations are based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-External links:*...
. A full breakdown of foundation donors is given below:
| Body | Donations | Total (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Scaife Foundation Sarah Scaife Foundation The Sarah Scaife Foundation is one of the American Scaife Foundations. It is controlled by Richard Mellon Scaife. The foundation does not award grants to individuals. It concentrates its efforts towards causes focused on public policy at a national and international level... * |
10 | 1,675,000 |
| Brady Education Foundation Brady Education Foundation Brady Education Foundation was incorporated in Wisconsin in 1956. The Foundation, which is linked to the founders of Brady Corporation, undertook a major grant-making initiative in 2003 after changing its name from W. H. Brady Foundation... |
6 | 1,604,000 |
| Randolph Foundation Randolph Foundation The Randolph Foundation is a New York-based charitable foundation that first operated in 1972 as the H. Smith Richardson Charitable Trust. It transitioned to independence from the Smith Richardson Foundation, assuming the name of The Randolph Foundation from 1991–1993, and was reconstituted as a... |
14 | 1,559,000 |
| John M. Olin Foundation John M. Olin Foundation John M. Olin Foundation was a grant-making foundation established in 1953 by John M. Olin, president of the Olin Industries chemical and munitions manufacturing businesses. Unlike most non-profit foundations, the John M. Olin Foundation was charged to spend all of its assets within a generation of... |
11 | 776,000 |
| Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation | 15 | 490,000 |
| Castle Rock Foundation Castle Rock Foundation The Castle Rock Foundation is a conservative foundation started in 1993 with an endowment of $36.6M from the Adolph Coors Foundation. It ranked as Colorado's 15th largest foundation by assets at the end of 2001... |
5 | 300,000 |
| Carthage Foundation Carthage Foundation The Carthage Foundation is one of the American Scaife Foundations. It is controlled by Richard Mellon Scaife. The foundation does not award grants to individuals. It concentrates its efforts towards causes focused on public policy at a national and international level. From 1985 to 2003 the... * |
3 | 300,000 |
| Jaquelin Hume Foundation | 6 | 265,000 |
| William H. Donner Foundation | 5 | 200,000 |
| Scaife Family Foundation Scaife Family Foundation The Scaife Family Foundation is one of the American Scaife Foundations. The foundation does not award grants to individuals. It concentrates its efforts towards causes focused on families, women, children, and animal welfare. From 1985 to 2001 the organization awarded over $77 million USD to... * |
1 | 100,000 |
| JM Foundation | 5 | 95,000 |
| Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation | 4 | 70,000 |
| Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation | 6 | 61,000 |
| Gilder Foundation | 1 | 50,000 |
| Earhart Foundation Earhart Foundation The Earhart Foundation is a private charitable foundation that funds research and scholarship. It was founded in 1929 by oil executive Harry Boyd Earhart.- History :... |
2 | 35,000 |
| Ruth and Lovett Peters Foundation | 1 | 25,000 |
| Roe Foundation | 5 | 22,500 |
| Hickory Foundation | 4 | 17,500 |
| William E. Simon Foundation | 2 | 6,000 |
| Total | 106 | 7,651,000 |
* Scaife Foundations
Board members
Heather Higgins
Heather Richardson Higgins is an American businesswoman, political commentator and non-profit sector executive. She is the president and CEO of Independent Women's Voice, the 501 sister organization of the Independent Women's Forum....
with other members Mary Arnold, Carol T. Crawford, Jennifer Ashworth Dinh, Randy Parris Kendrick and Larry Kudlow. These staff are complemented by 'directors emeritae'; these include Second Lady of the United States
Second Lady of the United States
Second lady of the United States is an informal title for the wife of the vice president of the United States, coined in contrast to the first lady ....
Lynne V. Cheney, neoconservative writer Midge Decter
Midge Decter
-Biography:Midge Rosenthal Decter was born on July 25, 1927 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She attended the University of Minnesota, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and New York University....
, Kimberly O. Dennis, the Mercatus Center
Mercatus Center
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University in the United States is a non-profit market-oriented research, education, and outreach think tank affiliated with the Koch family. It works with policy experts, lobbyists, and government officials to connect academic learning and real-world practice...
's Wendy Lee Gramm
Wendy Lee Gramm
Wendy Lee Gramm is an American economist and a distinguished senior scholar at George Mason University's Mercatus Center, a free-market think tank based in Washington D.C. She is also the wife of former United States Senator Phil Gramm...
, Elizabeth Lurie, Washington editor of National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
Kate O'Beirne
Kate O'Beirne
Kate O'Beirne is the Washington editor of National Review. Her column, "Bread and Circuses," covers Congress, politics, and U.S. domestic policy....
, and Louise V. Oliver.
External links
- Official site
- Independent Women's Forum, "IWF Awarded Grant to Support Iraqi Women," September 28, 2004.