Founded in 1971, the Oregon Women’s Political Caucus (OWPC) was a state-wide women’s political organization that mirrored the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) at a state level. The OWPC primarily focused on helping women interested in running for office within the Pacific Northwest. As their mission statement states, the OWPC was created to “promote equitable representation of women and women’s interests in the decision-making process of government by maximizing the inclusion and involvement of women in political activities through education and action.” Along with fighting to right women’s issues, the OWPC also strove to achieve equal human rights for all people, regardless of sex, color, race or religion, as reflected in this collection.
In 1979, the OWPC created the Oregon Women’s Campaign School in order to educate and support potential Oregon women candidates. Today, the Oregon Women’s Campaign School is held biennially in early spring/late winter in Portland, Oregon and helps prospective Oregon women obtain positions at the local, state and national levels.
Separate, smaller groups of the OWPC were created as the caucus grew in the 70’s and 80’s, such as the Portland Area Women’s Political Caucus (PAWPC) and the Lane Women’s Political Caucus (LWPC). Eventually these groups regressed back into one major caucus, the OWPC, before the Oregon caucus disbanded completely.
Currently about 18 state chapters still exist within the NWPC, including California, New York and Arizona. And since the founding of the NWPC and OWPC in 1971, there has been a dramatic increase in women elected officials.
From the guide to the Oregon Women's Political Caucus (OWPC) records, 1971-1999, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)
