Merched y Wawr facts for kids
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Merched y Wawr
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The headquarters of Merched y Wawr, in Aberystwyth.
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| Formation | 1967 |
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| Founder | Zonia Bowen |
| Founded at | Y Parc |
| Headquarters | Aberystwyth |
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Region
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Wales |
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Official language
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Welsh |
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Honorary President
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Sylwen Lloyd Davies |
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National President
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Meirwen Lloyd |
| Publication | Y Wawr |
Merched y Wawr (Welsh for 'Daughters of the Dawn') is a group for women in Wales. It is a voluntary organisation, meaning people join because they want to. The group is similar to the Women's Institute (WI). However, all its activities are done in the Welsh language. Merched y Wawr aims to support women's issues. It also helps promote Welsh culture, education, and the arts.
Contents
The Story of Merched y Wawr
Why Merched y Wawr Started
Merched y Wawr began in 1967. Before this, many women in Wales were part of the Women's Institute (WI). The WI had used Welsh in its meetings for a long time. But then, the WI decided that English would be its only official language. This decision was not popular with many Welsh speakers.
A group of women from the WI branch in Parc village, Llanycil, decided to leave. They wanted a group where everything was done in Welsh. So, they started Merched y Wawr. The new group grew very quickly. By the late 1980s, it had over 10,000 members. It also had more than 275 local groups.
Early Developments and Changes
In 1968, Merched y Wawr launched its own magazine. It was a quarterly magazine, meaning it came out every three months. The magazine was called Y Wawr, which means The Dawn. The group also adopted an anthem. The anthem was called Fy Iaith, Fy Ngwlad, meaning My Language, My Land. David Jacob Davies and Elfed Owen wrote this song.
In 1975, the group's founder, Zonia Bowen, left the organisation. This happened because Merched y Wawr started to focus on religious aspects. This was different from the group's original plan. The group was meant to be open to everyone, no matter their beliefs.
What Merched y Wawr Does Today
Merched y Wawr has been involved in many campaigns. For example, they supported creating a memorial for Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn. They also collected oral histories from people across Wales. Oral history is when you record people talking about their past.
Local groups usually meet once a month. The main office, or headquarters, is in Aberystwyth. The hall there is used by the community. Other charities and groups in the area also use it. In 2016, Merched y Wawr had about 7,000 members. These members were part of over 270 local groups.
A competition was held to design a badge for the new organisation. Mrs Hannah Rogers created the winning design. She was a founding member of the Rhosllannerchrugog and Pen-y-cae branch.
