Welcome to the Tucson (AZ) Branch of AAUW!

Our Mission: We advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.

The AAUW Tucson branch has over eighty (80) members residing in Greater Tucson, Oro Valley, Corona de Tucson, and Sierra Vista. We proudly partner with AAUW College/University Partners Pima Community College and the University of Arizona, Tucson.


Our History: The AAUW Tucson Branch originated from the Collegiate Club that formed in 1909 under the stewardship of a small group of women. One of them was Clara Fish Roberts, the first person to have registered at the new University of Arizona in September 1891 and the first women elected to the Tucson School Board in 1917.

The second member of the Collegiate Club was Clara Ferrin (Bloom) who graciously opened her home for the organizational meeting held in her parlor. That parlor now part of the Coronet Restaurant on Cushing Street in Tucson.


Our programs are on summer break. 

Check out the July Newsletter!


Our Year-End Celebration Luncheon was held on Saturday, May 11

We did it again the BRING…SWAP…& DROP a BOOK

BRING a BOOK … used or new 

SWAP a BOOK … take you pick of any book(s) and keep for yourself

DROP a BOOK … all 27 unclaimed books will be donated to any of the Tucson Little Free Libraries


AAUW National called on all members to vote on the AAUW Bylaw changes. The amendments, recommended by the AAUW Board of Directors and Governance Committee, aimed to open membership and bring fresh perspectives to our organization.

The votes were tallied and the open membership initiative did not pass. Changes to AAUW’s Bylaws require 2/3 majority (66.6%) to pass. AAUW members voted 65.1% to approve the measure, just shy of passing. Click here for more information.


AAUW Tucson Co-Sponsored Our 1st Women’s Safety Forum on April 17

Experts in mental and physical wellness, finance, community safety, and self-defense were on hand to share their expertise and promote programs available in Tucson.

Safey Forum April 17 2024     Safey Forum April 17 2024

The panel moderator was Kiki Rogers from KVOI 1030 the Voice. AAUW Tucson President-Elect, Dawn Armstrong, founder of
ThinkSafe Seminars, shared women safety techniques, importance of situational awareness, and inspiring confidence. Joining Dawn on the panel was Kandy Kirsch, of Leaders Edge and Chapter Chair of the Women Presidents’ Organization, who discussed emotional and mental fitness. Kandy is a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor. Mental Health First Aid teaches how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health challenges and substance abuse.

The League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson were on hand for voter registration, too.

Thanks, Dawn, for coordinating this successful event. See everyone next year!


          AND       

Ready for some baseball?  ⚾ The season is underway so plan your next trip to Chase Field by taking advantage of regular season tickets available from AAUW Tucson.


. . . is officially recognized on Friday, March 8.   We celebrated the day on Thursday, March 7, sharing IWD information and talking about AAUW Tucson at Pima Community College’s Downtown Campus.

We look forward to partnering with Pima again next year.


February Program

AAUW Tucson was excited to have Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, Pima County Recorder, as our speaker on Saturday, February 10.

Ms. Cázares-Kelly was elected Pima County Recorder in November 2020 and began her administration in January 2021. She leads an office that oversees voter registration, early voting and document recording for Pima County and was inspired to run for office after encountering many systemic barriers preventing people from simply registering to vote.

Ms.Cázares-Kelly is one of four women who co-founded Indivisible Tohono, a grassroots, community organization that provides education and civic-engagement opportunities for members of her tribe, the Tohono O’odham Nation.

She is a proud product of Pima Community College, holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University.


January Branch Program: Held on January 20 at Viscount

We appreciate all of our members, guests and friends who attended.



Holiday Luncheon and 2023 Celebration

Thanks for everyone who attended the holiday luncheon on Saturday, December 9, at Ramada by Wyndham Viscount Suites to celebrate the holiday season and share our 2024 events and programs.

Click HERE for pictures and a recap of the event.

UPDATE: A total of 139 pounds of non-perishable donations were collected for the University of Arizona Campus Pantry. THANK YOU!


Public Policy & AdvocacyOur Work is Not Yet Done

See updates on our page, click HERE


Negotiating It Forward


Shout out to our Start Smart champions, Branch Past President, Diana Charbonneau, and branch coordinator/facilitator, Carmen Aviles.

Last month, Diana presented Start Smart to Women in Optics and Carmen conducted a two-session workshop via Zoom for the UofA  Graduate Center. The three audiences combined had approximately 85 attendees!

Thanks Diana and Carmen for helping so many learn about successful salary negotiation strategies and  supporting our mission to end the pay gap.