It was called together by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)[1] and hosted by the Unión Democrática de Mujeres of Guatemala.
The women participating were from: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia,[1] Costa Rica,[3] Cuba, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, United States, Uruguay[1] and Venezuela.
In addition, they recommended a broad education program so that all members of society, including children and the elderly understood both the benefits and dangers of nuclear power.
[8] The second committee led by Ecuadorian Nela Martínez discussed how the concept of democracy had to be expanded to include more than just a political sphere.
[8] Ana Rosa Tornero de Bilbao of Bolivia headed the third committee[8] which focused on human rights including economic security, education, health care and freedom of expression.
[8] Guatemalan Maria del Carmen Vargas and Salvadoran Matilde Elena López led the committee to discuss Inter-American policy issues.
The women were well aware of the simultaneous session going on in Rio de Janeiro, working toward expanding arms and reciprocal assistance, which was seen as at odds with their pacifist goals.
They heard from Palestinian representative Rose Gutman, who stressed the need for resolution of "the Palestine question" and development of a home for stateless Jews.
[8] The sixth committee tended to evaluate issues which had more often been construed as feminist issues—women's civil and political rights and access to posts of responsibility.
[11] Though many issues were discussed, among the most important were recognition of the equality of men's and women's civil and political rights, implementation of civil marriage and divorce throughout the Americas, unrestricted access to finances within the marriage, the elimination of exemption from prosecution for uxoricide in cases of adultery, freedom of choice for spouses to determine their nationality, uniform policies of obligation for parental support of children, abolition of the death penalty, and encouragement of women's organizations and strengthening the access women have to posts of responsibility.
[8] There is no evidence that the federation was ever launched, but the resolutions they proposed were adopted virtually verbatim by the Organization of American States Comision Inter-Americano de Mujeres (CIM) held in Caracas in 1949.