Association for Women in Psychology

History

The Association for Women in Psychology (AWP) was founded in 1969 at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association (APA). Its co-founders included Phyllis Chesler, Dorothy Riddle, and E. Kitch Childs. At the time, there was no national organization nor division thereof addressing issues related to the psychology of women. Also in 1969, after an Association for Women in Psychology group had worked on a series of demands, Chesler and Riddle presented the demands at the annual meeting of the APA. Chesler prepared a statement on the APA's obligations to women and demanded one million dollars in reparation for the damage psychology had perpetrated against allegedly mentally ill and traumatized women. Members of the AWP also picketed the APA's Board of Directors meeting, to raise awareness of the sexism within the organization and the field of psychology in general. In response, APA eventually established a division on the Psychology of Women (Division 35) in 1973. Together, AWP and Division 35 successfully advocated for a Women's Program Office at APA's national headquarters.