Ukrainian National Women's League of America

Established in 1925 by five Ukrainian women's associations in the New York City area, the UNWLA was inspired by the women's organization that flourished in western Ukraine in the 1920–30s, Ukrainian Women's League, Союз Українок, from which the UNWLA adopted its name. The initial goal was to unite all Ukrainian women's groups in the United States under one umbrella to help their homeland that was struggling for national independence in the center of Eastern Europe and coordinate efforts to provide long-distance humanitarian aid. Another important goal was to inform the free world about events in Ukraine, to support the homeland both spiritually and materially, and to promote the preservation of Ukrainian national identity, cultural heritage, and ethnic traditions in the United States. While originally focused on alleviating the struggles of Ukraine, fundraising and volunteer work resulted in the building of churches and community centers, children's education, the establishment of scholarly and cultural institutions.

The reason for unification was the exclusion of the National Council of Women (NCW) of Ukraine from the International Council of Women at the ICW's General assembly held in Washington, D.C., in May 1925. The NCW of Ukraine had been a member of the ICW since 1920. Its exclusion from the ICW occurred as a direct result of Ukraine's loss of, a prerequisite for ICW membership.

The name given to the new organization was "Soyuz Ukrayinok Ameryky" - Ukrainian National Women's League of America.

During the UNWLA's early years, the organization found support with the International Institutes of the YWCA, a program established by Edith Bremer (1865–1964). Its philosophy validates immigrant women's values of ethnic pride and retention of culture. UNWLA members promoted the Ukrainian presence in America with exhibitions of folk art and cultural performances in prestigious venues such as the annual Women's International Exposition in New York City. The folk art exhibit installed at the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair became the cornerstone of The Ukrainian Museum collection.

In 1948, as UNWLA gained recognition, the organization became the first ethnic organization in the United States to become an associate member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. Joining the GFWC gave the UNWLA a standing to participate in national and international events on an equal footing with other American women's organizations. UNWLA President Olena D. Lototsky served on the board of directors of the American Federation of International Institutes (1953–1959) and in 1958, was honored as a Woman of Achievement alongside other ethnic and minority group leaders. In 1952 the UNWLA was admitted to the National Council of Women of the United States (NCW) of the United States. In 1993, Iryna Kurowyckyj (UNWLA President, 1999–2008) was elected president of the NCW, the first woman of Ukrainian descent to hold this top position of women's representation in the country.

Since the same 1948, the UNWLA is also a founding member of the World Federation of the Ukrainian Women's Organizations (WFUWO).[3] This organization gave Ukrainian women in non-Soviet countries an entrance into the sector of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), direct involvement in the United Nations, and access to international women's conferences.

As an organization based on ethnic identity, the UNWLA has weathered repeated challenges to its continuity. Realizing the importance of the Ukrainian language as a window into the survival of Ukraine as a state, the delegates to the first UNWLA Convention in 1932 passed the first of the many resolutions to cultivate the use of Ukrainian within the organization. Thinking of Ukrainian as a lingua franca that can potentially unite Ukrainians across the continents lead the UNWLA to become an effective influencer. The UNWLA in many ways shaped a Ukrainian style of life in the diaspora, offering guidance on domestic décor, cuisine, leisure and educational activities. It also developed, managed and staffed a standard Ukrainian pre-school program across the country, named svytlychka. The program aims to ensure that future generations born in the US would grow up to be bilingual and biculturally literate Ukrainian Americans.

Initially, the UNWLA worked to inform the world about cultural and political repression in Ukraine during the Soviet times. Since 1991, the year Ukraine proclaimed its independence, UNWLA members have been sending petitions to senators and congressional representatives, requesting their support for the advancement of Ukraine's political and economic reform. One example of the UNWLA's work in this respect was the organization's active participation in the Jackson–Vanik Coalition, which was instrumental in the successful push to turn the Jackson–Vanik amendment into law, thereby normalizing trade relations between Ukraine and the United States.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2014, the renewed threat to Ukraine's sovereignty has deepened UNWLA's humanitarian mission to ensure not only Ukraine's physical, psychological, and spiritual survival, but also healing, with the focus of aiding the victims of war. With the challenges encountered during the pandemic of 2020, the UNWLA mission has continued to evolve.

Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022, the UNWLA has focused its operations on relief efforts. These include fundraising, political advocacy, direct donations of medical equipment and other goods, and educational and cultural outreach. The UNWLA leveraged partnerships with international and local organizations to start delivering humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

During the first week of the invasion, members of the UNWLA engaged in a 7-Day Advocacy Challenge, where they called their representatives and sent letters to local newspapers to encourage Ukrainian humanitarian and military aid. Members also distributed petitions and emailed corporations and universities to encourage divestment from Russian investments, and called on American cities to break ties with their Russian sister cities.

The UNWLA has formed emergency response teams for the crisis, including teams on Administration, Advocacy, Corporate Fundraising, Humanitarian Medical Aid, Immigration/Visas/Temporary Protected Status, Media Inquiries, Non-Medical Supplies, Social Media, and Social Welfare. The national fundraising campaign focuses on gathering funds to purchase external fixators and wound-vac machines to treat wounded civilians and soldiers in Ukraine. The supplies for this equipment is distributed among the hospitals in Ukraine.

Since 1926, the UNWLA has been organizing exhibits of Ukrainian folk art at American institutions with the goal of familiarizing the public with the diverse cultural heritage of Ukrainians. One of the major initial efforts was the exhibition of the Ukrainian folk art at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. Between 1967 and 1973, the UNWLA maintained the Museum of Ukrainian Folk Art until it founded the Ukrainian Museum in New York, NY, in 1976. The UNWLA retains 51% of the votes on the board of directors of the Museum.

UNWLA Scholarship Program was founded in 1967 and through the years of its existence, millions of dollars in scholarships were directed to enable secondary school and college students in Ukraine and the diaspora to complete their studies.

The first issue of Our Life, a bilingual monthly magazine, was published in 1944. Since then a one-pager has evolved into a glossy magazine, still released in Ukrainian and English to all of UNWLA members. It features articles about Ukrainian culture, art, people, events in Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora.