Following is a list of women's missionary societies, organized by country, with formation years.
Canada Canada Congregational Woman's Board of Missions - 1886 United Baptist Woman's Missionary Union of the Maritime Provinces - 1906 Woman's Baptist Foreign Missionary Society of Ontario (West) - 1876 Woman's Baptist Foreign Missionary Society of Eastern Ontario and Quebec - 1876 Woman's Missionary Society of the Methodist Church, Canada - after 1834 Woman's Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church in Canada Woman's Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (Eastern Section) - 1876 Woman's Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (Western Division) - 1877
India
Delhi Female Medical Mission - 1866
United Kingdom Church of England Zenana Missionary Society - 1880 Society for Promotion of Female Education in the East - 1853 Wesleyan Ladies' Auxiliary for Female Education in Foreign Countries - 1832
United States A missionary society formed in 1799 to assist in increasing an interest in its work in foreign countries, and in raising missionary efforts for the same, a woman's missionary society was organized in 1801. With the same object, "Cent Societies” among women, were active until 1815, when Maternal Associations were established throughout the churches and flourished until about 1842. The missionary society of 1799 emerged into the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, early in whose history it began its efforts to reach foreign women through the labors of single women. All Christian denominations had strong convictions of duty towards countries where Christianity was not prevalent. When it was felt that female teachers were a necessity, self-sacrificing, earnest Christian women responded to the appeals for teachers. As early as 1800, the women of the U.S. were interested in "home missions". In 1803, the first Woman's Home Missionary Society was formed at the First Church, Providence, Rhode Island, with the name of "FEMALE MITE SOCIETY" of First Baptist Church. Its object, "To aid in sending the gospel to the wilds of western New York and Pennsylvania". Other societies of like character followed, and for a number of years, were independent of any general organization. Coincidentally or providentially, the necessities of the American Civil War called forth their sympathy, fortitude and endurance. They became conscious of their power to relieve distress and to comfort the sick. Thus there was developed an ability to cooperate successfully and to work collectively. When peace was restored, women were prepared to engage both at home and abroad. They also felt that they could work more effectually in connection with their several denominational boards of missions.Some notable women's missionary societies included:
American Zenana Mission - 1864 Christian Woman's Board of Missions - 1874 Council of Women for Home Missions - 1908 Female Missionary Society - c. 1818 Free Baptist Woman's Missionary Society - 1873 Ladies' Medical Missionary Society of Philadelphia - 1851 Woman's American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society - 1871 Woman's American Baptist Home Mission Society - 1877 Woman's Board for Foreign Missions of the Christian Church - 1886 Woman's Board of Foreign Missions of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church Woman's Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church - 1870 Woman's Boards of the Congregational Church Woman's Board of Foreign Missions - 1868 Woman's Board of Missions of the Interior - 1868 Woman's Board of Missions for the Pacific - 1873 Woman's Board of the Pacific Islands, 1871 Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Free Methodist Church of North America - 1882 Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church - 1869 Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Protestant Church - 1879 Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Reformed Episcopal Church - 1889 Woman's Foreign Missionary Union of Friends in America - 1887 Woman's General Missionary Society of the Churches of God - 1903 Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society of the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the USA Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society of the United Evangelical Church - 1891 Woman's Home and Foreign Mission Society of the Advent Christian Denomination - 1897 Woman's Missionary Society of the UCC Woman's Missionary Union - 1888 Woman's Union Missionary Society of America for Heathen Lands - 1861 Women's Missionary Association of the Church of the UB Women's Missionary Association of the Presbyterian Church of England Woman's Missionary Society of the Evangelical Association - 1880 Woman's Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church (South) Women's Missionary Society of the United Lutheran Church in America Women Teachers' Missionary Association
References