History

In 1977, 20,000 women from across the country went to Houston, TX for the National Women’s Conference. A delegation of women from Maine were there, too. They returned to our state feeling energized and wanted to do something to make a real difference for Maine women. They decided to secure funding for what were then known as battered women’s shelters.

They did all the things you’re supposed to do when trying to pass legislation. They found a sponsor. Testified in support of the bill during the hearing. Told their representatives in the Maine State House why this funding was important and urged their support. It seemed to be going well.

Then the bill was vetoed, and when the session finally ended, they were surprised and disappointed that the veto was not overridden - by a single vote. In the final hours of negotiating a deal, there wasn’t anyone in the halls of the State House advocating for those funds.

This passionate group of women told themselves that never again would the women of Maine be without a voice when these kinds of decisions are made. They reached out to women all over Maine and asked them to each give $2 to help hire a lobbyist—and the Maine Women’s Lobby was created.

For 40 years, the Maine Women’s Lobby has been the voice of women and girls when policy decisions are being made—in the State House and beyond.

In time, there was recognition that a great deal of the work needed to improve the well-being of Maine women does not constitute lobbying. In 1990 a 501(c)(3) was founded to carry out the complementary activities that contribute to improve the social, political and economic well-being of Maine women. Those activities include research on the challenges facing women and their policy solutions; public education on the issues; providing political leaders with information and hosting debates and candidate forums in order to hear from political candidates where they stand on the issues.

The organization began as the Women’s Development Institute, became the Maine Women’s Policy Center, and today is the MWL Education Fund.

Together the two organizations have a long history of advancing gender-equitable and gender-responsive public policy.