The New Life Movement Promotes Research Always Women's Steering Committee (1938-1946)

During the anti-Japanese war, organizing and mobilizing people to support the war is one of the most important thing to deal with. Due to the war, most of the men fighting on the battlefield or serving as logistics staff, women was an important object of national mobilization in times of war. The Women’s Advisory Council of New Life Movement is an such organization that mobilized women to participate in the women-work in times of war. Under the leadership of the Women’s Advisory Council, the Chinese women actively engaged in rural services, child-care, cultural activities, production and other undertakings. Compared with other popular mobilization organization, the women’s Advisory Council has its own gender characteristics.After the outbreak of hostilities, Madame Chiang Kai-shek called a Conference of leading women to meet in LuShan on May1938.The Women’s Advisory Council under the already existing framework of the New Life Movement was decided upon as the directive body of all Chinese women in war work and reconstruction on July1,1938. Madame Chiang Kai-shek continues as the Director, with the Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek as Honorary President. Therefore, although it was organized as far back as February1934, it now became reorganized and a completely new program was drawn up. For the first time in China’s long history, Chinese women thus became organically united. Branch Associations may now found in all provinces within China as well as in many countries abroad.The Women’s Advisory Council of the New Life Movement was one of the significant umbrella organizations for women’s mobilization work during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. The Participants of the Women’s advisory council have women cadres of the KMT Chen Yiyun, Communists Deng Yingchao, the National Salvation Association Shi Liang, Christians Zhang Aizhen, women celebrities Zeng Baosun, experts Yu Qingtang, Song Meiling’s private Secretary such as Qian Yonghe. The wives of the chairmen of Kuomintang provincial governments were in charge of local council.These seven years since1938have been busy, difficult years and herewith follows a very brief description of activities undertaken. Purpose of the Council is two-fold:to direct Chinese women to serve in time of war and national reconstruction, and to promote and ameliorate the people’s living conditions.Departments of Work in the Women’s Advisory Council are as follows:Training Department:Prepares young women and girls to do first-aid, hospital assistant work, village, industrial, factory and children’s work. Older workers are given refresher courses from time to time. Cultural Department:Edits and publishes various periodicals, encourages exchange of thoughts on present day problems, and sponsors literary contests among the oncoming generation of writes. Livelihood Department: Directs teams to serve in factories for educational, health, guidance, social and recreational work among women laborers.Production Department:Develops China’s old handicraft industries and provides work for destitute women refugees as well as directs spinning and weaving factories for soldiers’womenfolk; produces parachute material at its Sericultural Center, for convenience of the local public, conducts salesrooms of its products at the New Life center. Children Nursery Department:Helps the government in coordinating Related organizations, promotes national child welfare work; carries on research, experimental activities, emphasized children’s work in city, village and labor communities as well as the development of personnel and better methods for extending children’s welfare work throughout the nation. Relief Department:Stations service corps to give direct relief to wounded soldiers and civilian refugees; to supplement hospital special diets and to carry on educational and other welfare projects in soldiers’hospitals; to provide work, study, and welfare facilities for soldiers’families.Rural Service Department:Sends out Training Department graduates for village experimental work along educational, health, relief, woman’s work and children’s welfare lines. In some centers, native industries are developed. Coordination Department:Brings together all Chinese women’s organizations at home and abroad, plans mass meetings and directs movements for the emancipation of women. General Affairs Department:Managers all headquarters business and affairs, consists of statistical, finance, research divisions etc, and cares for supplies, records, and buildings.