NRA Media’s latest special-edition digital publication—“What NRA Does for Women”—celebrates the history and programs for and by women of the National Rifle Association of America.
For many years, NRA was viewed as an organization largely led and dominated by men. While that assumption wasn’t entirely wrong—after all, the NRA was created in 1871 by Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate to address soldiers’ underwhelming marksmanship skills demonstrated on the battlefield during the U.S. Civil War—we have proof that women have always been welcome and celebrated throughout NRA’s rich 153-year history.
The rise to women’s status as the fastest-growing demographic of gun owners has happened in fits and starts, but women were indeed well-represented within the NRA even in its earliest days. While it would still be nearly 50 years after the NRA came into existence before full women’s suffrage in the U.S. was realized, women have always been essential in transforming the nation’s oldest civil rights organization into the world’s most respected and influential gun-rights group.
“Women are the fastest growing demographic among new gun owners, but that is not news to us—many of NRA’s greatest voices have come from our women, both leadership and staff,” NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Doug Hamlin said. “NRA women have led the way for decades, and NRA has pioneered and continues to innovate when it comes to programs for women. ‘What NRA Does for Women’ tells that story.”
Sponsored by European American Armory and created by the women editors of NRA Media, “What NRA Does for Women” highlights major milestones and accomplishments of the pioneering women who forged the path for the modern woman gun owner, and who were integral in helping NRA programs earn their deserved reputation as the gold standard for firearm education and training. The NRA Media women editors and staff who worked to bring this special digital publication to life are NRAWomen.com Editor in Chief Ann Y. Smith, NRAFamily.org Editor in Chief Wendy LaFever, NRA America’s 1st Freedom and Official Journals Managing Editor Mel Dixon, NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum Editor in Chief, NRA HLF Director of Communications and NRA American Hunter Senior Editor Karen Mehall Phillips, NRA American Hunter Managing Editor Rose Bier Draper and Art Director Karen Haefs.
A unique timeline walks through the earliest days of NRA to the most recent contributions by the women who proudly call themselves NRA members. A sampling of women-specific “Armed Citizen” entries, a visit to the NRA Whittington Center’s Adventure Camps tailored to women and suggestions for “Great Guns for Women” are just a few of the many great articles contained within “What NRA Does for Women.”
While NRA Media’s newest and fastest-growing website—NRAWomen.com—is always on the cutting edge of the most relevant and up-to-date information that affects women and the Second Amendment, this digital publication—“What NRA Does for Women”—sheds light on NRA’s many programs and activities that are geared toward women: recreational and competitive shooting, hunting, Second Amendment advocacy and today’s primary reason for firearm ownership by women—self-defense.
“I am extremely proud to have been able to share through this digital magazine the significant role women have played in NRA’s 153-year history,” NRAWomen.com Editor-in-Chief Ann Y. Smith said. “The unprecedented growth in women’s participation in the shooting sports, hunting and personal protection have all been fostered by NRA, and this is reflected in the many quality women-specific firearm training groups and events that now exist throughout the country. There is no doubt that NRA safety and training programs have provided the foundation for these wonderful groups. NRA continues to lead the charge in efforts for women through properties like NRAWomen.com, which produces today’s most relevant Second Amendment content for women, by women.”
Something else to note— currently, the NRA Board of Directors has 16 women sitting at the table, each representing the interests of the many millions of women gun owners throughout the country, especially our NRA members.
If you know a woman who is contemplating NRA membership, share this book with her to give her dozens of reasons why she must join today.
Read “What NRA Does for Women” at this link and don’t forget to check out NRAWomen.com. Additionally, be sure to take a look at other special-edition digital publications from NRA Media covering NRA competitions like the NRA National Matches, as well as the NRA Law Enforcement Division.
