In 1902, the International Alliance of Women for Suffrage and Legal Citizenship was founded by leading American suffragists at a meeting in Washington attended by women from eleven countries.

A second meeting in Berlin, in 1904 formally constituted the organization under the name International Woman Suffrage Alliance (IWSA) and this met regularly until the outbreak of war in 1914.

At the Congress of 1926 in Paris the name was changed to International Women’s Alliance, and a strong link with the League of Nations was established.

In 1946 the present name was adopted with the sub-title Equal Rights - Equal Responsibilities.

In 1915, individual members of IWSA from warring countries had met in the Hague and were instrumental in setting up what has become another highly regarded sister organisation, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.