Challenging militarism
In 1916 and 1917, both organizations campaigned against conscription. ln 1932, WILPF collected a record number of Australian signatures for the lnternational Declaration on World Disarmament, an international WILPF initiative. Since World War ll, WILPF women have protested against nuclear armaments. In 1947 they protested against the establishment of the Woomera Rocket Range, against nuclear testing at Maralinga, at Monte Bello and in French Polynesia, against US bases, and for a Nuclear Free and lndependent Pacific. They opposed the Vietnam War, and conscription, exposing the dangers of chemical and biological warfare.
WILPF continues to campaign against the arms trade, for an independent foreign policy for Australia, and to redefine our security in terms of human need, to decrease military budgets and increase development aid. WILPF has joined IPAN (lndependent and Peaceful Australia Network) and ICAN (lnternational Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons).