Leslie Massey
The women's suffrage movement in Austria has its roots in the 18th century, with French activist Olympe de Gouges, who is widely regarded as the first champion of female suffrage, publishing her declaration of the rights of women after the French Revolution in 1791. In Austria, the struggle for women's suffrage began in earnest with the 1848 Revolution, which saw the emergence of the short-lived Wiener Demokratischer Frauenverein, demanding a constitution with an elected parliament. However, women were excluded from the first election of a Constituent Assembly in the Habsburg Monarchy that same year, and the 1867 Law on Assembly and Association denied women membership in explicitly political associations. It wasn't until 1918, after the fall of the Habsburg Monarchy and World War I, that Austrian women gained the right to vote and stand for election on equal terms with men.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of women's suffrage | 12 November 1918 |
| First election with women's participation | February 1919 |
| First women elected into parliament | Anna Boschek, Emmy Freundlich, Adelheid Popp, Leopoldine Glöckel, Gabriele Proft, Therese Schlesinger, Amalie Seidel, Maria Tusch, and Hildegard Burjan |
| Universal, equal, direct, secret voting rights for all citizens | Adopted in 1918 |
| Universal, equal voting rights for men | Adopted in 1907 |
| First women admitted to University of Vienna | 1897 |
| First grammar school for girls in Vienna | 1892 |
| Founding of the Working Women's Educational Association | 1890 |
| Founding of the Austrian Association of Female Teachers and Educators | 1869 |
| Founding of the first women's associations | 1867 |
| Founding of Allgemeiner Österreichischer Frauenverein | 1893 |
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What You'll Learn
The Austrian women's movement began in 1848
The Austrian women's movement has its roots in the 18th century, with Olympe de Gouges, widely regarded as the first champion of female suffrage, publishing the 'Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen' in 1791 after the French Revolution. However, it was not until the mid-19th century that the Austrian women's movement began in earnest, with the events of 1848 serving as a catalyst.
The year 1848 was marked by revolutions across the Austrian Empire, with various nationalist, liberal, and socialist groups rising up against the longstanding conservatism of the Habsburg Monarchy. While these revolutions primarily focused on issues of national identity and political autonomy, they also sparked demands for social reform, including the expansion of voting rights. Unfortunately, the revolutionary movements of 1848 did not result in meaningful progress for women's suffrage in Austria. Instead, women were explicitly excluded from political participation, with the right to vote restricted to male citizens.
One of the key events of the Austrian women's movement in 1848 was the formation of the Democratic Women's Association, also known as the Democratic Women's Union. This group protested against lower wages for women and the exclusion of women from political associations. Despite facing ridicule and opposition from many men, the Democratic Women's Association laid the groundwork for future women's rights activism in Austria.
The women's movement in Austria gained momentum in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the emergence of middle-class and proletarian women's associations advocating for improved access to education and labour rights. During this period, influential figures such as Marianne Hainisch and Adelheid Popp played a significant role in advancing the cause of women's rights. Hainisch founded the Austrian Association of Female Teachers and Educators in 1869, leading to the establishment of the first grammar school for girls in Vienna in 1892. Popp, a leading figure in the Social Democratic women's movement, organised protests and demonstrations demanding women's suffrage, including a large-scale demonstration in Vienna in 1911.
It was not until 1918, however, that full political participation was achieved for Austrian women. On November 12, 1918, with the foundation of the Republic of Austria after World War I, universal suffrage was granted to all Austrian citizens regardless of gender. This marked a significant milestone in the Austrian women's movement, and in 1919, women gained access to all university disciplines and exercised their right to vote and stand for election on equal terms for the first time.
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Suffrage was granted in 1918
The women's suffrage movement in Austria has its roots in the 18th century, with French activist Olympe de Gouges, who is widely regarded as the first champion of female suffrage. In 1791, she published her "Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen" after the French Revolution. However, she was executed two years later, in 1793. The Austrian women's movement itself began with the events of 1848, when the Wiener Demokratischer Frauenverein (Democratic Women's Association) protested against lower wages for women. This association was ridiculed by many men and, due to the 1867 Law on Assembly and Association, which denied women membership of explicitly political associations, it was dissolved shortly afterwards.
In the late 19th century, the women's suffrage movement in Austria gained momentum, with women advocating for equal political rights. Women's organisations and activists played a crucial role in raising awareness about gender equality and the importance of women's political participation. The Social Democratic Party of Austria was the first political party to demand universal suffrage for men and women, although introducing men's suffrage was often prioritised over women's suffrage.
In 1918, following the end of World War I and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the First Austrian Republic was established. On November 12, 1918, the day the Republic was announced, a law of state and government reform was introduced. Article 9 of this reform mentioned that suffrage for the election of the Austrian Parliament should be universal and without distinction between genders. This marked a significant step forward for women's rights and political empowerment in the country, granting women the right to vote and stand for election on equal terms with men.
The 1919 elections for the Constituent National Assembly were the first in which women could participate in national elections in Austria. Notable women elected to parliament included Anna Boschek, Emmy Freundlich, Adelheid Popp, Leopoldine Glöckel, Gabriele Proft, Therese Schlesinger, Amalie Seidel, Maria Tusch (all Social Democrats), and Hildegard Burjan (Christian Social Party).
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Suffrage was achieved with the fall of the Habsburg monarchy
The struggle for women's suffrage in Austria was a long and arduous journey that spanned several decades and faced various setbacks. The roots of the women's suffrage movement can be traced back to the 18th century with the efforts of pioneers like Olympe de Gouges, who published her "Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen" after the French Revolution in 1791. However, it was during the 19th century that the demand for women's suffrage gained momentum in Austria, driven by societal changes brought about by industrialization and urbanization.
The first women's associations in Austria were founded in 1867, marking the beginning of a battle for equal rights that continues to this day. Despite facing ridicule and legal obstacles, women like Marianne Hainisch and Adelheid Popp played a crucial role in advocating for female suffrage and improving women's access to education. The Democratic Women's Association, established during the 1848 Revolution, protested against lower wages for women, but it was short-lived due to legal restrictions on women's participation in political associations.
The Austrian women's suffrage movement was characterized by two main strands: the bourgeois-liberal movement and the social democratic movement. The bourgeois-liberal movement, influenced by the ideals of gender dualism, had a more ambivalent approach to women's suffrage, with some proponents suggesting that women should not be drawn into politics. On the other hand, the social democratic movement, led by figures like Adelheid Popp, actively campaigned for universal suffrage, seeing it as a step towards the liberation of the entire working class. However, even within this movement, there were concerns about the conservative attitudes of women and the potential distraction from the goal of universal suffrage for men.
It was only in 1918, with the fall of the Habsburg monarchy and the establishment of the First Austrian Republic, that women's suffrage was finally achieved. On November 12, 1918, the law of state and government reform was introduced, and Article 9 specifically mentioned that suffrage for the election of the Austrian Parliament should be universal and without gender distinction. This marked a significant victory for women's rights and political empowerment in Austria, and in 1919, women gained full political participation, with the right to vote and stand for elections on equal terms with men.
The introduction of women's suffrage in Austria was a crucial step towards democracy and the recognition of women as equal citizens. It highlighted the importance of women's active participation in the political process and the ongoing work towards achieving gender equality in Austrian politics and society as a whole.
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The Social Democratic Party was the first to demand universal suffrage
The Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) was founded in 1889 as the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria (SDAPÖ). It is the oldest extant political party in Austria and, along with the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), is one of the country's two traditional major parties. The party has been a major force in Austrian politics since its inception.
The Social Democratic Party was the first political party in Austria to demand universal suffrage for both men and women. However, the introduction of men's suffrage was prioritised over women's suffrage, and the latter was often left out of negotiations as a compromise. This was due to the concern that women were more conservative and that fighting for women's suffrage would distract from the larger goal of universal male suffrage.
The Social Democratic Party's women's movement was led by prominent figures such as Adelheid Popp, who organised a protest for women's suffrage in Vienna on 1 October 1893, and Marianne Hainisch, who founded the Bund Österreichischer Frauenvereine in 1902 to create an umbrella organisation for Austrian women's associations. Despite the party's early advocacy for universal suffrage, it was only in the 1910s that activism for women's suffrage intensified, with annual demonstrations taking place in Vienna, even during World War I.
In October 1918, the Social Democratic Party collaborated with bourgeois women's organisations to submit a joint petition to the national assembly. On 12 November 1918, with the foundation of the Republic of Austria and the introduction of the state and government reform, Article 9 of the reform mentioned that suffrage for the election of the Austrian Parliament should be universal and without gender discrimination. This marked the introduction of women's suffrage in Austria, and the first time women could participate in national elections was in February 1919.
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Suffrage was a significant achievement in the country's democratic development
The women's right to vote in Austria was a significant achievement in the country's democratic development. It was a long and arduous journey that spanned several decades, with the roots of the women's suffrage movement in Austria dating back to the 18th century. Olympe de Gouges, widely regarded as the first champion of female suffrage, published the "Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen" in 1791. However, she was arrested and executed two years later.
The Austrian women's movement gained traction in 1848, with the Democratic Women's Association protesting against lower wages for women. Despite facing ridicule and legal barriers that prevented women from joining political associations, the spirit of the movement persisted. The first women's associations were founded in 1867, marking the beginning of a battle for equal rights that continues to this day. Notable figures such as Marianne Hainisch and Adelheid Popp advocated for women's rights in education and suffrage.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women's organisations and activists played a crucial role in raising awareness about gender equality and the importance of women's political participation. The Social Democratic Party of Austria was the first political party to demand universal suffrage for both men and women. However, introducing men's suffrage was often prioritised, and women's suffrage was sometimes compromised during negotiations.
The suffrage movement in Austria faced challenges due to differing approaches between the bourgeois-liberal and social democratic strands, which operated largely independently. Despite these differences, the movement persevered, and in 1918, following the end of World War I and the fall of the Habsburg monarchy, women's suffrage was introduced in Austria. The new constitution, adopted in 1919, granted women the right to vote and stand for elections on equal terms with men. This marked a significant milestone in the country's democratic development, reflecting the recognition of women as equal citizens.
The right to vote empowered Austrian women to actively participate in the political process, casting their ballots and engaging in political activities. It underscored the importance of women's involvement in shaping the country's future and contributed to the ongoing work towards achieving gender equality in Austrian politics and society as a whole. The Second Austrian Republic, established in 1945, reaffirmed women's suffrage and ensured their equal participation in the democratic process, further solidifying the achievements in the country's democratic development.
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Frequently asked questions
Women's suffrage was introduced in Austria on 12 November 1918, with the foundation of the Republic of Austria after the fall of the Habsburg monarchy.
The roots of the women's suffrage movement in Austria can be traced back to the 18th century, with the efforts of Olympe de Gouges, who is widely regarded as the first champion of female suffrage. The movement gained momentum in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with women advocating for equal political rights and protesting against lower wages.
The movement faced challenges due to the prevalence of gender-specific dualism, supported by the influential Catholic Church, which limited women's roles to motherhood and the household. However, the First Austrian Republic, established in 1918, granted women the right to vote and stand for elections on equal terms with men. This was further reaffirmed by the Second Austrian Republic in 1945, ensuring women's equal participation in the democratic process.
