The Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press (WIFP) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt research, education, and publishing organization. Our organization was founded in 1972, by Dr. Donna Allen, to increase communication among women and reach the public with our experience, perspectives, and opinions. Women's contributions to society must be heard and be taken into account if democracy is to function and the world's political decisions are to be viable.

WIFP operates as a national and international network of Associates: media women and media-concerned women, as well as some men who join with us. Interns in our internship program undertake projects and engage in research and writing. For names of individuals connected to WIFP, see the links on the side of this page.

We seek to democratize the communications media by expanding freedom of the press (which includes its modern day electronic forms) to enable all people; rich and poor, male and female, to have the equal opportunity to speak directly to the whole public about their own issues and concerns. Access to the public constitutes political power and in a democracy it must be equal. Freedom of the press is a citizen right of democracy, it should not be a right based on wealth.

WIFP encourages projects that move us toward these democratic communication goals. It is a place where new ideas about making communication more democratic are encouraged, examined, researched and published. WIFP sees a unique role for women as the majority in democracy: to build a communication system that permits everyone to be heard equally.

Our current and past activities are mentioned on this website.

Our Representatives at the United Nations in New York are Jessica Chesnut and Andrea Singer.
WIFP Support for Efforts at the UN

We publish the Directory of Women's Media, available (with no access charge) on this website, a booklet series on media democracy, a print newsletter and a quarterly online newsletter for Associates, Voices for Media Democracy. This website provides a means of communicating about media democracy issues. Particularly see the "WIFP Communication News" page. The Associates Statement. and the various philosophy pages give insight into our approach to media issues. The "Women's Media" page serves to highlight particular women's media.

Please feel free to explore the pages of this website and share with us your thoughts and ideas.

Archived Materials of the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press and Donna Allen.

(Former location: 3306 Ross Place, NW, Washington, DC 20008-3332.  Photos from a few scenes at the original home of WIFP, 1972-2000)