Danish Women's Society

The Danish Women's Society, known in Danish as Dansk Kvindesamfund and often abbreviated as DWS, is Denmark's oldest women's rights organization. Founded in 1871 by the activist Matilde Bajer and her husband, parliamentarian and later Nobel Peace Prize laureate Fredrik Bajer, it developed as a non-party political association focused on improving women's social, educational, legal, and economic position. Its early work was directed especially toward middle-class women, but its agenda broadened over time to address employment, family policy, political representation, public services, and the rights of women and girls generally. From its beginning, the organization promoted women's independence. It supported access to education, professional preparation, and the ability of married women to control their own financial resources. This practical emphasis led to the establishment of several educational initiatives. In 1872, the association opened a commercial training school for women. A Sunday school for working women followed in 1874, and a school of art for women was established in 1895. These activities reflected the association's belief that education and employable skills were essential foundations for personal and economic autonomy. Political rights became increasingly central during the early twentieth century. From 1906, the Danish Women's Society gave sustained attention to women's suffrage. Its advocacy contributed to the constitutional reform of 1915, under which women gained the right to vote in elections to Denmark's national parliament. The organization subsequently campaigned for equal employment conditions, fairer public-sector salaries, and access to public positions. These efforts were associated with legislation improving women's public-service pay in 1919 and opening public positions equally to women and men in 1921. The association also engaged with social and family policy. During the interwar years, it addressed the risks faced by pregnant employees and advocated reforms that would enable women to give birth without being driven toward abortion by economic or institutional pressures. The development of assistance centers for mothers across Denmark was part of this wider policy environment. During the German occupation of Denmark in the Second World War, the organization helped establish Danske Kvinders Beredskab, a women's civil-defense and preparedness organization concerned with medical assistance, evacuation, and protection during bombing raids. It also drew attention to unemployment among women and the difficulties experienced by single women. In the postwar decades, the Danish Women's Society concentrated heavily on social policy. Its work included support for single mothers, assistance for women returning to work, retraining for those who had been outside employment, recognition of homemakers' circumstances, and demands for expanded kindergarten provision. It also supported the campaign for women to be permitted to serve as priests, which preceded legislative reform in 1947. The organization remains a non-party political, feminist association. It describes its outlook as inclusive, intersectional, progressive, and liberal, and advocates for the rights of all women and girls. Its agenda also explicitly includes LGBT rights: it treats homophobia and transphobia as serious forms of inequality and regards LGBT organizations as allies in broader struggles over gender and social equality. Alongside advocacy and public debate, it publishes Kvinden & Samfundet, a women's magazine founded in 1885 and described as the world's oldest women's magazine. Internationally, the Danish Women's Society belongs to the International Alliance of Women and maintains sister-organization relationships with the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights and the Icelandic Women's Rights Association.

The Danish Women's Society was established in 1871 in the context of growing international and European discussion about women's education, economic independence, and civic status. Matilde Bajer had joined the Danish branch of the Swiss Association internationale des femmes, while her husband, Fredrik Bajer, was also interested in organized efforts for women's emancipation. Together they helped create an association that was independent of political parties and initially focused on strengthening the position of middle-class women. The organization's original program connected women's freedom with practical access to education and economic resources. It argued that women should be able to develop the knowledge and skills needed for self-employment and should not lose control over their finances through marriage. In pursuit of these aims, the association opened Dansk Kvindesamfund Handelsskolen, a commercial training school for women, in 1872. It established Søndagsskolen for Kvinder, a Sunday school for working women, in 1874, and later founded Tegneskolen for Kvinder, a women's art school, in 1895. These institutions made the society not only an advocacy body but also a provider of educational opportunities. The movement's priorities shifted toward political citizenship in the early twentieth century. Beginning in 1906, the Danish Women's Society campaigned for women's suffrage. Constitutional reform in 1915 granted women the right to vote in elections to the Rigsdag, Denmark's national parliament. The organization then continued to press for equality in employment and public administration. Reform in 1919 improved women's salaries in public service, while legislation in 1921 provided women and men with equal access to public positions. Between the First and Second World Wars, the society expanded its activity into maternity and social welfare policy. It opposed circumstances in which pregnant public-sector employees could be dismissed and advocated conditions that would allow pregnant women to give birth without being forced toward abortion by a lack of support. Assistance centers for mothers, known as mødrehjælpsinstitutioner, were subsequently established around the country. This work showed the society's growing interest in the relationship between formal rights and the material conditions required to exercise them. During the German occupation of Denmark, the organization participated in the creation of Danske Kvinders Beredskab. The preparedness body addressed civil-defense needs including medical care and evacuation during air raids. The Danish Women's Society also focused on unemployed women and the social difficulties faced by single women. After the 1943 elections, in which only two women were elected to the Folketing, it promoted greater female political representation. Its campaign for women to become priests contributed to legislative change in 1947. In the 1950s and 1960s, social policy became a dominant concern. The association addressed the circumstances of single mothers, supported women who worked in the home, advocated retraining for women who had been absent from paid employment, and called for more kindergartens. These concerns linked women's equality to childcare, work opportunities, family support, and the organization of everyday life. The society's long-running publishing activity is represented by Kvinden & Samfundet, founded in 1885. The magazine has provided a forum for discussion of women's rights and social conditions and is described as the world's oldest women's magazine. In its contemporary profile, the organization presents itself as an inclusive and intersectional feminist association. It campaigns for the rights of women and girls and supports LGBT rights, treating the LGBT movement as an ally in combating inequality. It is affiliated with the International Alliance of Women and has sister relationships with the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights and the Icelandic Women's Rights Association.

• 1947

  Reform enabling women priests

  [1]Danish Women's Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The society's advocacy for women priests was followed by legislative reform allowing women's ordination.

• 1921

  Equal access to public positions

  [1]Danish Women's Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Women and men received equal access to public positions through legislative reform.

• 1919

  Public-service salary reform

  [1]Danish Women's Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Legislation improved salary conditions for women employed in public service, following sustained equality advocacy.

• 1915

  Women gained national voting rights

  [1]Danish Women's Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Constitutional reform gave Danish women the right to vote in elections to the national parliament.

• 1906

  Suffrage advocacy intensified

  [1]Danish Women's Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The society made women's voting rights a major focus of its advocacy.

• 1895

  Women's art school established

  [1]Danish Women's Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Tegneskolen for Kvinder was established to expand women's access to artistic education.

• 1885

  Kvinden & Samfundet launched

  [1]Danish Women's Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The organization began publishing Kvinden & Samfundet, a women's magazine later described as the world's oldest women's magazine.

• 1874

  Sunday school for working women established

  [1]Danish Women's Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Søndagsskolen for Kvinder was created as an educational initiative for working women.

• 1872

  Commercial training school opened

  [1]Danish Women's Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The association established Dansk Kvindesamfund Handelsskolen to provide women with commercial and employment-oriented training.

• 1871

  Organization founded

  [1]Danish Women's Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Matilde Bajer and Fredrik Bajer founded the Danish Women's Society as an independent, non-party organization supporting women's emancipation and social advancement.

An independent, non-party political Danish feminist organization combining rights advocacy, public education, social-policy engagement, and publishing. Its stated position is inclusive, intersectional, progressive, and liberal, with a broad remit covering women, girls, and LGBT people.

• Women's magazine · 1885

  Kvinden & Samfundet

  A magazine founded by the Danish Women's Society in 1885. It serves as a publishing and discussion platform for women's rights, gender equality, social policy, and related public issues. The publication is described as the world's oldest women's magazine.

• Vocational education · 1872

  Dansk Kvindesamfund Handelsskolen

  A commercial training school opened by the association in 1872. It reflected the organization's early commitment to giving women practical skills and better opportunities for independent employment.

• Adult education · 1874

  Søndagsskolen for Kvinder

  A Sunday school for working women established in 1874. The initiative extended the society's educational work to women who were already participating in the workforce.

• Arts education · 1895

  Tegneskolen for Kvinder

  A women's art school founded in 1895 as part of the association's effort to broaden women's access to education and professional development.

• 1950Single-mother and childcare policy advocacy

  Denmark

  In the 1950s and 1960s, the society focused on single mothers, retraining women outside paid employment, support for homemakers, and expanded kindergarten provision.

  Outcome. The campaign kept women's social and family-policy conditions central to the organization's postwar agenda.

  Source
• 1947Women priests campaign

  Denmark

  The Danish Women's Society advocated for women to be permitted to serve as priests.

  Outcome. Legislative reform in 1947 enabled women to become priests.

  Source
• 1943Women's political representation campaign

  Denmark

  After the 1943 election produced only two women members of the Folketing, the organization worked to encourage broader female political representation.

  Outcome. The campaign increased public attention to women's representation, although the available source does not quantify its direct electoral results.

  Source
• 1940Civil-defense and preparedness work

  Denmark

  During the German occupation, the society helped establish Danske Kvinders Beredskab, addressing medical care, evacuation, and civil preparedness during bombing raids.

  Outcome. The preparedness organization provided a women's network for wartime civil-defense activities.

  Source
• 1920Maternity and mother-support advocacy

  Denmark

  The society advocated protection for pregnant workers and social arrangements that would allow women to give birth without being driven toward abortion by lack of support.

  Outcome. Mother-assistance centers were established across Denmark as part of the resulting social-policy response.

  Source
• 1910Employment and public-service equality advocacy

  Denmark

  The organization campaigned for equality in employment, public-sector pay, and access to public positions.

  Outcome. Public-service salary improvements followed in 1919, and equal access to public positions was established in 1921.

  Source
• 1906Women's suffrage campaign

  Denmark

  The Danish Women's Society made voting rights for women a central advocacy priority from 1906.

  Outcome. Women received the right to vote in national parliamentary elections through the constitutional reform of 1915.

  Source
• LGBTQA rights advocacy

  Denmark

  The organization supports initiatives advancing the rights of gay and transgender people and presents the LGBTQA movement as an ally in addressing inequality.

  Outcome. The society's stated contemporary platform includes LGBT rights alongside women's and girls' rights.

  Source

1. 1Danish Women's Societyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Danish Women's Society official websitedanskkvindesamfund.dk