Women & Children First was founded in November 1979 by
Ann Christophersen and
Linda Bubon, students at the
University of Illinois at Chicago. They were part of the
feminist movement and saw a market need when they had a difficulty finding books by the women authors they wanted to study. The bookstore had steady growth from its opening until the early 1990s, but struggled financially when large bookstore chains moved into Chicago. The store adjusted by selling textbooks and making staffing changes, but when
Amazon and other Internet retailers sold books for far less than retail price as
loss leaders in the early 2000s, Women & Children First faced some of its hardest years. The next year, extensive renovations were completed for a dedicated events and community space for author readings and community group meetings, and a mural was created illustrating notable woman authors who had spoken at the bookstore. The
2016 presidential election energized young feminists, increasing foot traffic and visits to the store's website, and the store rebounded financially in the late 2010s. For its 40th anniversary in 2019, Women & Children First held a hugely well-attended block party outside the bookstore and also hosted a panel of the store's former and current owners as well as presenting a list of the store's top 20 all-time best-sellers, with books including
My Life on the Road by
Gloria Steinem,
Bad Feminist by
Roxane Gay, and
The House on Mango Street by
Sandra Cisneros. ==In popular culture==