Overview

Concerned Women for America (CWA) is a U.S.-based conservative Christian public policy organization and grassroots network that promotes socially conservative positions on family, religious liberty, and public morality. Founded as a response to developments in the feminist movement and cultural debates of the late 1970s, CWA has both an advocacy and an education role: it organizes local chapters, mobilizes volunteers, and advocates in state and federal policy arenas. Many of its materials and campaigns are accessible through affiliated sites and resources CWA main and related pages resources.

History and organization

CWA was established in 1979 by Beverly LaHaye as an organization aimed at representing conservative Christian women in public policy discussions. It grew from local prayer groups and civic engagement into a national organization with state chapters and a separate legislative arm, the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWA/LAC), which focuses on lobbying and electoral issues legislative arm. Leadership has included long-serving figures from evangelical circles; its current president and chief executive is Penny Young Nance leadership. Historical context for CWA's founding is often linked to the prominence of feminist advocacy in the 1970s and media attention to those debates background.

Positions and activities

CWA articulates a range of positions rooted in conservative Christian social policy. Its public positions commonly include:

  • Opposition to abortion and support for pro-life policies abortion policy.
  • Opposition to some forms of sex education in schools and promotion of abstinence-based programs education stance.
  • Reservations about contraception policy, certain reproductive technologies such as embryonic stem cell research, and aspects of the modern feminist movement reproductive issues.
  • Opposition to legalization of same-sex marriage and some LGBT policy changes, framed in terms of traditional marriage and religious liberty family policy.
  • Campaigns against pornography and what it characterizes as harmful media media campaigns.

Methods and public role

CWA uses grassroots organizing, public education materials, legislative lobbying, and media appearances to advance its agenda. It operates local chapters for community outreach, publishes position papers, and encourages members to contact elected officials. The organization participates in broader conservative coalitions and sometimes files or supports litigation on issues connected to religious freedom and family law legal work.

As a participant in American cultural and political debates, CWA is frequently cited by both supporters, who view it as a voice for traditional values, and critics, who argue it opposes expanded civil rights and reproductive freedoms. The organization's role illustrates the intersection of faith-based activism and public policy in late 20th and early 21st century U.S. politics.