Women's Health Protective Association

rdf:langString Women's Health Protective Association

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rdf:langString The constitution of the Brooklyn association read in part: "the objects of this Association shall be to inspire the women of Brooklyn with a realization of their municipal obligations; to promote the health of the people of Brooklyn and the cleanliness of the city by taking such action, from time to time, as may secure the enforcement of existing sanitary laws and regulations by calling the attention of the proper authorities to any violation thereof, and to procure the amendment of such laws and regulations when they shall be found insufficient for the prevention of acts injurious to the public health or the cleanliness of the city."

rdf:langString In Philadelphia's first annual report, it stated in part: "The men make the laws, award contracts and pay the bills; the execution of the contract lies with the contractor; the supervision of the work with the women. When we consider that every life saved to our city means just so much added to the world's working force; when we think of the amount of misery caused in each home by every case of sickness; the enormous amount of capital invested in huge institutions to take care of people after they are sick, and when we know that if the principles for which each committee stands are carried out, a far greater result will be obtained in preventing misery and wretchedness, by preventing sickness than can possibly result from an attempt to heal after the misery has come, we faintly realize the magnitude and importance of the work we have attempted."

rdf:langString Women's Health Protective Association (sometimes, Woman's Health Protective Association; original parent body, Ladies' Health Protective Association) was a US women's organization focused on improving a city's public health and protecting the immediate neighborhood. It was founded in New York City in November 1884 as the Ladies' Health Protective Association. The impetus for the association occurred when a few women were annoyed by a nuisance maintained in the immediate neighborhood of their homes. They assembled in the parlor of one of the women to talk over the situation and devise some plan of concerted effort that could be brought to bear upon the New York City Metropolitan Board of Health to induce it to abate this nuisance. The result led to the formation of "The Ladies' Health Protective Association." It commanded public attention because its work was public and for the public. The meetings became important enough to have reporters assigned from the daily papers attend them, and reports appeared. Associations were formed in other cities on the same general principles. The newer associations substituted the word "woman," or "women," for " ladies," although the original charter granted by New York State was to "The Ladies' Health Protective Association." By 1895, the parent body decided, in view of the prejudices against the use of the word "lady", to change its name to The Woman's Health Protective Association.