<P> The development of "fraternities for women" during this time was a major accomplishment in the way of women's rights and equality . By mere existence these organizations were defying the odds; the founding women were able to advance their organizations despite many factors working against them . The first "Women's Fraternities" not only had to overcome "restrictive social customs, unequal status under the law and the underlying presumption that they were less able than men" but at the same time had to deal with the same challenges as fraternities with college administrations . Today both social and multicultural sororities are present on more than 650 college campuses across the United States and Canada . The National Panhellenic Conference serves as the "umbrella organization" for 26 (inter) national sororities, representing over 4 million women at both the collegiate level and in alumni associations . </P> <P> In 1867 the Chi Phi fraternity established its Theta chapter at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, marking the first foray of the American social fraternity outside the borders of the United States . At the time, many students from the American south were moving to Europe to study, due to the disrepair into which southern universities had fallen as a result of the American Civil War . One such group of Americans organized Chi Phi at Edinburgh, however, in the course of the Theta chapter's existence, it initiated no non-American members . With declining American enrollment at European universities, Chi Phi at Edinburgh shuttered in 1870 . </P> <P> Nine years following Chi Phi's abortive colonization of the University of Edinburgh, a second attempt was made to transplant the fraternity system outside the United States . In 1879 Zeta Psi established a chapter at the University of Toronto . Zeta Psi's success at Toronto prompted it to open a second Canadian chapter at McGill University, which it chartered in 1883 . Other early foundations were Kappa Alpha Society at Toronto in 1892 and at McGill in 1899, and Alpha Delta Phi at Toronto in 1893 and at McGill in 1897 . The first sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, was established at Toronto in 1887 . By 1927 there were 42 fraternity and sorority chapters at the University of Toronto and of 23 at McGill University . A few chapters were also reported at the University of British Columbia, Carleton University, Dalhousie University, University of Manitoba, Queen's University, University of Western Ontario Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo and Brock University . </P> <P> Numerous Greek organizations in the past have enacted formal and informal prohibitions on pledging individuals of different races and cultural backgrounds . While these limitations have since been abolished by both the Interfraternity Conference and the National Pan-Hellenic Council, students of various ethnicities have come together to form a council of multicultural Greek organizations . The Multicultural Greek Council, officially formed in 1998, is a coordinating body of 19 Greek organizations, including nine fraternities, and ten sororities with cultural affiliations . </P>

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