The WIDF in the Far East

=== [PDF page 1] === CASSIFICATION amen ars -“: ~-Approved For Release 1999/0 “nllaSq, ONFICIALS ONLY NR e2-004575.007¢90 pial INFORMATION REPORT op no. ener: COUNTRY Far East SUBJECT The Women's International in the Far East 20X1A A NO. OF PAGES 3 ema a; 70, OF ENGLS ura fo GA Libra | Oe OT TO REPORT NO. Albania: Delegates attending the first session of the Council of the Woman's Internation al Democratic Federation (WIDF) in Paris during February 1947 were: Mrs. Nexhmije tlomna Algeria: Mme. Alice Sportisse Austria: Mrs, Baumgarten Brazil: Mrs. Alice Tibirica Bulgaria’ Mrs. Abramova China: Miss TSAT Chang (Uma LI Fu-chun) Cuba: Uys, Lole Seldevilla Czechoslovakia: Mrs, Znezka Hodinova Mme. Horakova Mrs, Trojanova France: Mrs, Dianent Mrs. Francoise Louise Leclereq Mrs, Jeanette Vermeersch (wife of Maurice Thorez) Greece: Mrs, Joannides Hungary: irs, Boris Fai India: Mrs, Handoo Mre, lydia Kanuga Italy: Mrs. Ravers Mrs, Romita Hexcieo: Mrs, Jimenes Esponda Palestine? Mme. Polak Poland: Mrs. Dluska Mme. Evgenia Praguerova . Mrs, Dr. Irena Setacholska Portugal Mrs, Martins Document No. Rumania ¢ Mrs, Galine Mrs. Ana Pauker Spain: Mrs, Victoria Kent Sweden? Mrs, Andrea Andgren Trieste* Mrs. Smokovitch Oe eG @meeme/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONIY DISTRED TION This document is hereby regrad CONFIDENTIAL in accordance with the letter of 16 October 1978 from the Director of Central Intelligence to the Archivist of the United States, Nex RaskovedeF eaRelease 19 === [PDF page 2] === .% ~-Approved For Release 1999/0(00) Fd dWEAbRd.o0457R002600450010-7 50 WMD CONTROL < U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY 25X1A CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. we 2 iow Union of South Afvica: Mrs, Hilda Watts USSR: Mre. Beliaeve Mes, Parfenova Mrs. Petrova Mra, Nina Popova USA: / Urs, Eleanor S. Gimbel Viet Nam:, Mrs. Dao Yan Chau Yugoslavia Urs, Mitra Mitrovitch (also Mitrovic) The first contact between the WIDF and the Far East, other than the attendance of the Chinese, Indian and Viet Nam delegates at the Paris meeting was in March 1947. At that time an appeal was forwarded to various WIDF affiliates urging the withdrawal of foreign trocps from Greece. One of the recipients of this appeal was a Chinese Commmnist in Hong Kong who, at one tins, had been ' secretary to CHOU En-lai. A communication was also addresawd by the WIDF to the Chinese Communist Farty representative in Nanking in an effort to contact Mme. CHOU En-lai and the"liberated areas", Tn August 1947 Ginetto Delmas arrived in Singapore traveling under what appear. eo to be semi-official French auspices. She was stated to be a journalist bu. according to information received at a later date she was also a repregent— ative of the WIDF, She was given a reception ty the Singapore Chinese Womenis Fedecation at which she Bpoke urging the Women’ Associations to join the WIDF. Shortzy afterward the left-wing Singapore Chinese Women’s Federation applied to WIDF cor affiliation, By January 1948 a Idaison Bureau was established in Singapo:'e for the Women's Association of Nalaya, Correspondence from the WIDF 2 women's organizations in Malaya has been addressed to the Malayan Comnunist arty offices. in Hong Kong the WIDF has an affiliate in the Hong Kong ard Kowloon Woren's Fraternity Association which sharea premises with the National Student Federation of China. The Hong Kong and Kowloon Women's Fraternity Association is connected with well-known Chinese Communists in Hong Kong. in Decembvr 194; the WIDF proposed semiing a "Fact Finding Commission" to tour India, Pakiutan, Viet Nam, Malaya and Indonesia in order to report on the. living coniisions of women and children in those countries. Members of the Commission wire te be drawn fron dmerica, Algeria, China, France, the United Kingdem and ine USSR, Of the group the following mambers. wera identified: Mme. Sine Bertrand (Bernard), representing the coordinating committee of she WIDF, Mime. Tamara Marakova (Morozova), representing the Soviet Women's Anti- Faitist Committe, Urs. Zélua Brandt, member of the Congress of American Women. + Talith: Gerlach, secretary of the World-Wide division of the YWCA, Agnes jmedley. Dr. Mar Tilney Miles(Pat Mies), nee Barrett, a British delegate and « Communist Elleea Joyce Haworth, an ex-student in England, In the early part of 194 the party, led by Mme. Simone Bertrand, toured India, Burm and Malaya. @iaene /CONTEOL ~U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY 7 eoNFIDENTISE Approved For Release 1999/09/09: CIA-RDP82-00457R002600450010-7 === [PDF page 3] === z~ =-f\pproved For Rele 4999/09/08 CIA- RDP82- 00457R002600450010-7 CONT OL + Tele OFFICIALS ONIY 25X1A -3- CONFIDENTIAL 6. At the second Congress of the WIDF which took place in Budapest during the first week of December 1948, certain important decisions were made relative to the intensification of WIDF activity in the Far East. The links between the WIDF and the women of Asia had been strengthened and six new affiliations had been made in India, Pakistan, Burma, Ma Siam and Iersel. In addition, contact was made for the first time with women's organizations 1n the Philippines, Ceylon ami Cyprus. The number of organizations in Asia affiliated with the WIDF now totals thirteen. 7. Part of the proceedings of the second Congress held in Budapest was devoted to a preliminary discussion of a proposed conference to be held in Asia, It was decided that the Conference of the Women of Asia should be held as soon as possibls, at least before September 1949, and there wes a general desire that it be held in China. A Preparatory Comittee, representative of all member groups of the WIDF in Asia was set up and within it 4 Working Committee. One of the Secretaries of the WIDF will also sit on this Committee which will go to the country chosen as the venue of the Conference two months before the opening date. Each country participating in the Conference will set up a Nat— ional Comittee which will undertake a campaign to ensure support for the Conference, In addition, a propaganda campaign on an international scale will be starsed to give the Conference publicity. 8 The WIDF wishes to contact the women of Asia who have not been brought into the WIDF fold. These include Japan and Afghanistan, and in the Middle East, Turkey and Iraq. The conduct of the campaign to extend the scope of the WIDF is to be entrusted to a new special section to be known as the" International Commission of the Women of Asia and Africe*, 4& smal) working committea of the Commission composed of members from China, Viet Nam, France, Egypt, Iran and the USA is already functioning in Paris, Other countries have been asked to appoint delegates who will work in their respective countries and make reports to the committee in Parig. 9. The "International Commission of the Women of Asia and Africa” has obviously been designed to parallel the "Bureau of Students Fighting A~- gainst Colonization" which was set up by the International Union of Students and the World Federation of Democratic Youth. The Bureau of Students Fighting Against Colonization was set up to coordinate the activities of anti~"Imperialist" youth movements in the countries to_ which Russia and her satellites have no direct and easy access, 25X1A ‘ # Comment. Mrs. Brandt claimed to represent the New School of Social Research in New York, CONFIDENTIAL Maem CONTROL. U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY Approved For Release 1999/09/09: CIA-RDP82-00457R002600450010-7