In February 1972, 17 women active in civic affairs met to organize an Indianapolis chapter that would discuss political issues important to women and encourage their involvement in politics. Soon 80 bipartisan members had collected statistics on the number of women holding political office, organized instructional programs to train women in politics, and identified women to assist in political campaigns and run for public office. Platform issues included the problem of displaced homemakers, equal pay childcare support, inheritance tax laws, and discrimination in access to credit.
From this core chapter, a state conference gathered in late 1972 for the purpose of organizing other chapters. Some 800 women attended and later formed chapters in , South Bend, Bloomington, Columbus, Lafayette, and Muncie.
The Indianapolis chapter became heavily engaged for four years in pressing for state passage of the , accomplished in 1977. Additional issues of importance to the Indianapolis chapter were health care for women, wife and child abuse, rape, and employment opportunities. The organization spurred many women of both major parties to become more active in politics, attend political conventions, and learn more about lobbying and the legislative process.
In 1980 the organization ceased to exist as a separate entity and joined the Gender Fairness Coalition, a network of local women’s organizations that continues to hold annual legislative awareness seminars, meetings with local government officials, and instructional sessions on issues pertinent to women.
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