History

The Committee of Tollare

In 1943 The Committee of Tollare - which would later become WOCAD - was initiated by Mrs. Vira Eklund (teacher and Member of Parliament) at a sobriety conference at Tollare folk high-school in Stockholm. The purpose of the committee was to stimulate the women's organisations interest in temperance issues. Before 1955 it was unusual for Swedish women to buy alcohol, but the drinking habits of their husbands were often causing them problems. Therefore, the committee had its focus on preventive work such as preparing young women for a life as a mother, child carer and wife.

WOCTI

The Committee of Tollare soon became a network of ten organisations and changed its name to WOCTI (Women's Organisations Committee on Temperance Issues). Initially, they focused their work on the increasing drinking habits of young people.

Focus on women's alcohol consumption

In Sweden, women have always been drinking less than men. However, since the abolition of the rationing-book system in 1955, women's alcohol consumption has increased. WOCTI decided to bring attention to this matter as early as the 1970´s and began to work with issues such as the effect of alcohol intake on the female body and women´s health issues.

WOCAD

In the late 1970´s the need for information about narcotics began to grow. In the 1980´s there was an increase of prescriptions of tranquilizers and sleeping pills. WOCTI included these topics in its working field which in 1985 led to a change of name, from WOCTI to WOCAD (Women's Organisations Committee on Alcohol and Drug Issues). With the name change, the organisation wanted to make clear that its work also included drug issues.

 

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