Kansas Women's Political Caucus.

The Kansas Women's Political Caucus (KWPC) was formed on March 4, 1972, only a few months after the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) was organized for all fifty states. The primary purpose of the KWPC was to bring more women into active participation in government at all levels.

The Caucus aimed to reach women of all social classes, ages, ethnic backgrounds, and political allegiances. The Caucus was for women who saw a need to rearrange the priorities of American society, who were willing to share in that responsibility, who sought to correct injustices that diminished the dignity of every human being, and who wished to work toward the realization of total equality for women.

To achieve this purpose, the goals of the KWPC were as follows: to encourage the formation of local caucuses and to coordinate their activities; to create political awareness through education; to encourage reform of existing political party policies which have excluded women; to encourage women to seek elective political office; to work actively for the election or appointment to positions of political power of women who supported the goals of the KWPC; and to enlist the active participation of women and men who will work for the realization of feminist concerns and humanist goals.

Membership in the KWPC was open to all women, and as of February 2, 1974 to all men who maintained a Kansas voting residence and who supported the goals of the Caucus. Payment of dues provided combined membership in a local chapter, the KWPC, and the NWPC: the dues were distributed as well. The KWPC held Annual conventions where officers read yearly reports, elections were held, speakers and workshops provided educative programs, and a business meeting resolved organizational and legislative issues before the Caucus. There were membership and convention scholarships available.

The KWPC included local chapters in Kansas City, Dodge City, Independence, Lawrence, Manhattan, Topeka, and Wichita. Some of the issues which were of particular interest to the KWPC were: reproductive freedom and abortion, the Equal Rights Amendment, the elimination of sex-role stereotyping in textbooks, the elimination of inequities in the extension of credit, equal employment opportunity, public health, and day care.

By-laws adopted in 1973 provided that the State Policy Council (SPC) would be the governing body of the KWPC. SPC members were elected for three year rotating terms, with a limit of two consecutive terms. Three members were elected from each Congressional District. The SPC elected the following officers for one year terms: Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer; an Historian was added later. The SPC usually met four times a year.

An Ad Hoc Committee on Structure proposed suspending the KWPC By laws at the Sixth Annual Convention in 1977, citing several reasons why the SPC working under the 1973 By-laws had proved inadequate. They proposed an Interim Plan which included a By-laws Committee to study and recommend new procedures for approval at the 1978 Annual Convention. It appears that the proposed amended By-laws which were presented in 1978 were adopted. The new structure allowed for a more broadly-based committee structure consisting of a Steering Committee, an Administrative Committee, and a Nominating Committee. In 1978, the Political Action Committee was formed as a standing committee with its own officers and by-laws. There existed within the KWPC a caucus of Republican women.

From the guide to the Kansas Women's Political Caucus records, 1972-1979, (University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library Kansas Collection)