Women's Vegetarian Union

The Women's Vegetarian Union (WVU) was an international women's vegetarian organisation founded in London in 1895 by Alexandrine Veigelé. Its presidents included Veigelé, May Yates and Charlotte Despard. The WVU promoted vegetarianism among women through meetings, lectures, cookery demonstrations and other outreach, and supported related health and temperance work. It recruited both members and associates, was affiliated with the Vegetarian Federal Union, and reported about 350 members and associates in 1900, with representatives in several European countries and the Seychelles. The WVU also operated a Vegetarian Depot and a General Agency Department, and had branches in Lambeth and Brussels; the Brussels branch maintained a vegetarian library and published the bimonthly periodical La Reforme Alimentaire. The WVU organised the first International Conference of Vegetarian Women in 1905, and its activities were still being reported in 1906.