Womens rights - A focus on Europe by Stephanie Coulibaly Nielsen

The French Revolution (1789)

ar6514 — 2025-10-27 08:56:27 UTC

Olympes de Gouges: “Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen” in 1791

This document + collective activism of the women in the French Revolution became a source of inspiration for the first wave of feminists

Mary Wollstonecraft (1792)

ar6514 — 2025-10-27 08:57:04 UTC

“A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”

Argues for education and intellectual equality.

Groundwork for later reforms in girls’ schooling and women’s access to universities.

The revolutions of “the people’s spring” (1848)

ar6514 — 2025-10-27 08:57:23 UTC

Across Europe, revolutions broke out demanding democracy and national independence.

Women actively participated in protests, demonstrations, and even armed resistance.

The beginning of organised women’s activism

Educational and Professional Rights (Mid–late 1800s)

ar6514 — 2025-10-27 08:58:56 UTC

Activism for women's rights becomes organised and international.

UK + Scandinavia: Slowly access to civil rights such as access to education, property ownership, and professional work.

Voting Rights in Finland (1906)

ar6514 — 2025-10-27 08:59:13 UTC

Inspired by global suffrage movements, European women began to demand political equality.

Finland became the first European country to grant women full voting rights in 1906.

Voting Rights expanded (1918-1945)

ar6514 — 2025-10-27 08:59:29 UTC

The end of World War I brings recognition of women’s important roles in society.

After World War I, many countries including the UK and Germany give women the right to vote.

Women’s Liberation Movement (1970's)

ar6514 — 2025-10-27 09:02:02 UTC

Moved beyond voting and legal equality toward issues of workplace rights, reproductive freedom, political representation, and cultural change.

Equality started to become a legal and political reality.

Legalization of abortion and contraception in many countries
Equal Pay Laws

Amsterdam Treaty (1997)

ar6514 — 2025-10-27 09:03:10 UTC

EU officially recognised gender equality as one of its central objectives.

All EU policies to promote equal opportunities between women and men.

Shift from national to transnational efforts

EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (2000)

ar6514 — 2025-10-27 09:12:54 UTC

Confirmed equality between women and men as a fundamental value of the EU.

Guaranteed equal pay, protection against discrimination, and the right to balance work and family life.

What has been accomplished?

ar6514 — 2025-10-27 09:14:27 UTC

Right to education
Right to vote
Right to own property
Rights to work - equal pay
Reproductive rights

Legal Achievements vs. Reality in Practice

ar6514 — 2025-10-27 09:14:38 UTC

EU Guarantees equal pay for equal work

Women in the EU still earn on less than men for same work

Access to contraception and abortion

Countries like Poland and Malta, abortion remains severely restricted or banned.
Countries trying to restrict access or have restrictive policies

Women in Europe have achieved full equality on paper

But in practice, social norms, economic structures, and enforcement gaps still prevent real equality from being achieved.

No longer about gaining rights - it’s about upholding those rights in daily life.