This Women’s Day, CAFE celebrates the dedicated and courageous women who were some of the most active opponents of “Prohibition” which lasted in the US from 1919 to 1933.
The Women’s Organization for National Prohibition Reform (WONPR) was founded in 1929 and led by New York socialite Pauline Sabin.
The WONPR’s opposition to Prohibition, just like the 18th amendment itself, was not only about drinking, but about the government’s role in regulating behavior.
Through their continued campaigning, members went door-to-door to recruit new supporters, lobbied politicians, attended meetings and gave speeches at rallies, and used radio (a very new technology of the time) to spread their message.
In no small part due to the WONPR, Prohibition ended in 1933 with the ratification of the 21st amendment repealing the 18th.
Let those women remind us that even today, one voice can make a difference and together many voices can change the world!
Happy International Women’s Day!
