Fredrika Bremer Association

The Fredrika Bremer Association (Swedish: Fredrika Bremer Förbundet, abbreviated FBF) is the oldest women's rights organisation in Sweden. It is a member of the International Alliance of Women, which has general consultative status with the United Nations.

Agda Montelius and Gertrud Adelborg presents the petition of woman suffrage to prime minister Erik Gustaf Boström in 1899.

Activity

The FBF works with forming public opinion in favor of gender equality by information and activities, and by handing out money from various funds and scholarships. It collaborates with other organisations with similar goals both nationally and internationally. The FBF had a representative in the governmental council of equality.

History

The organisation was founded in 1884 by a group largely consisting of the board of the women's magazine Home Review.[1] It consisted of the feminist Sophie Adlersparre,[2] Ellen Anckarsvärd, Fredrika Limnell, Ellen Fries, Hans Hildebrand and G. Sjöberg.[3] It was named in honor of the Swedish novelist Fredrika Bremer, whose novel Hertha was responsible for the legislation emancipating unmarried women from wardship of their male relatives. It also led to the foundation of Gothenburg's Women's Association in Sweden's second city of Gothenburg, which was founded as a local answer to the FBF.

The purpose of the organisation was to support women's rights, to inform women of their rights and to encourage them to use them. At the time of its foundation, for example, the focus was to inform women of their rights to serve in the boards of public institutions, and of the rights of women of a certain income to vote in municipal elections and to use those rights.[3] By 1890, the office of the organisation in Stockholm functioned as an employment agency for women of the middle classes, and offered juridical, economical and medical information and advice to women.[3] It was also noted at that time, that many women came there to be informed of the movement for women suffrage.[3] In 1899, a delegation from the FBF presented a suggestion of woman suffrage to prime minister Erik Gustaf Boström. The delegation was headed by Agda Montelius, accompanied by Gertrud Adelborg, who had written the demand. This was the first time the Swedish women's movement themselves had officially presented a demand for suffrage.

In 1890, the Svenska drägtreformföreningen became a part of the FBA, and in 1896, the Married Woman Property Association was merged in the association.

Publications

The FBF published the women's magazine Dagny, which succeeded Adlersparre's Home Review in 1886. This publication was renamed Hertha in 1914 and was the oldest women's magazine in the world when it was discontinued in the late 1990s.

Chairpersons
  • 1884–1903: Hans Hildebrand
  • 1903–1920: Agda Montelius
  • 1920–1937: Lizinka Dyrssen
  • 1937–1949: Hanna Rydh
  • 1949–1958: Elsa Ewerlöf
  • 1958–1959: Elin Lauritzen
  • 1959–1961: Inger Leijonhufvud
  • 1961–1967: Anna-Greta Hybbinette
  • 1967–1970: Astrid Schönberg
  • 1970–1976: Karin Ahrland
  • 1976–1982: Birgitta Wistrand
  • 1982–1985: Monica Påhlsson
  • 1985–1989: Gerd Forssell
  • 1989–1990: Ann Egefalk
  • 1990–1991: Eivor Lilja
  • 1991–1997: Inge Garstedt
  • 1997–2000: Anna-Karin Sjöstrand
  • 2000–2004: Irene Rundberg
  • 2004–2008: Ann Falkinger
  • 2008–2013: Birgitta Wistrand
  • 2013–: Louise Lindfors

References
  1. "Historia". fredrikabremer.se (in Swedish). Fredrika Bremer Association. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
  2. Warme, Lars G., ed. (1996). A History of Swedish Literature. A History of Scandinavian Literatures. 3. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. p. 481. ISBN 0-8032-4750-8. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  3. Lundin, Claës (1890). "XXIX. Kvinlig verksamhet". Nya Stockholm (in Swedish). p. 624. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
  • Stig Hadenius, Torbjörn Nilsson & Gunnar Åselius (in Swedish): Sveriges historia. Vad varje svensk bör veta (History of Sweden. What every Swede should know)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.