Prominent women

The women's movement's origin goes back as far as to the ideas of the Enlightenment in the 18th century. In 1791, the French author and revolutionary feminist Olympe de Gouges published her "Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne", a declaration on women's rights, which was translated into English as "The Rights of Woman". This became in 1792 a source of inspiration to Mary Wollstonecraft's "A Vindication for the Rights of Woman".

In Sweden, women's movement is divided into three "waves": in c. 1880-1920 primarily the suffrage movement; the second-wave women's movement of the 1960s and 1970s; and the new feminism at the turn of the millennium.

"Throughout the years, the goal of the women's movement is one and the same: to create an equal society without gender-related oppression", PhD Gunnel Karlsson wrote in the catalogue of the travelling exhibition inaugurated in 2002: "Love, Power and Sisterhood".

Some of the women who were active in the women's movement are presented here.

You will find further literature on, and writings by, the persons indicated above in the databases KVINNSAM and LIBRIS.