This page is black for a reason.
Women in Black groups started in Israel in 1988 and have spread worldwide.
They are groups of women who join together in protest, holding silent vigils, dressed in black. The purposes of these protests are to represent the voicelessness of women during military violence, the connection between the silencing of women and the emphasizing of violence done in so many of our societies, mourning to victims of violence, and taking a visible stance to protest military acts.
Women in Black in Israel and Palestine are against the occupation of Palestine.
Update Feb. 2004: Thanks to members of Women in Black of the Florida Gulfcoast for contacting me after seeing this webpage, and sending a link to a new, international site on WIB groups. Information on this Florida chapter is below.
UPDATE: Feb. 21, 2003:
A member of Women in Black in Eugene, OR, sent me this information via email after visiting this page, info below.
Member of Midpeninsula Women in Black from the San Francisco Bay area sent info, listed below
UPDATE, January 2003:
Many more Women in Black groups have formed within the United States since Bush started his "war on terrorism" and the impending war on Iraq. From the Women in Black group in Baltimore, I read that the estimated number of Women in Black groups within the U.S. is now at 85. Personally, I've seen WIB groups from various states during national anti-war protests in Washington D.C. Unfortunately, I don't have links to any web sites of these groups, and do not know if they have web sites. You might be able to find a Women in Black groups near you.
Here are some links to a few Women in Black groups with web sites:
New: Women in Black: an international site that did not exist when I created this web page, lists vigils around the world and gives a short history and description of Women in Black. It does not mention who created the site, but they followed the same basic idea I had with this web page, only they have a much more thorough listing of vigils around the world. I will no longer add vigils here, since you can go there to find them:
Women in Black, Israel:
Women in Black:
Women in Black, Victoria, BC Canada:
Women in Black, England and Spain:
Women in Black, Washington DC holds a vigil every Friday from 5:30-6:30 PM at Farragut Square and has done so since the spring of 2002. Subscribe to the email list by sending a blank email to womeninblackdc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com This is the web page of the group's email list:
Women in Black of the Gulf Coast of Florida are in the Tampa/ St. Petersburg area and surrounding counties. Thanks to Diane and Edie for sending me their information. They have an email list, you can join at this webpage:
Other Women in Black groups I know of (for which I do not have web site links):
Women in Black in Bosnia
Women in Black San Francisco
Midpeninsula Women in Black, San Francisco Bay Area:
Info received via email:
We started holding vigils in May 2002. We stand
every Friday in Palo Alto California (corner of University and
Emerson) from noon to 1 PM. Men are invited to join us.
We do not have a web site, but I am the e-mail contact for our group.
I also handle our e-mail list.
-Elaine Baskin
Women in Black, Los Gatos, California group; they meet on the last
Sunday of the month at the Los Gatos Farmer's Market, from 10 to
noon. They do not have an e-mail contact.
Women in Black, Baltimore
Women in Black, College Park Maryland (at the University of Maryland)
Women in Black, Tokoma Park, Maryland
Women in Black, Eugene, OR e have been doing a silent vigil in Eugene since Sept 02. It was 5 days a week for a couple of months, now it is on Mondays only from 5-5:30 next to
the Federal Building.
