Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir facts for kids
Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir (born September 27, 1856 – died March 16, 1940) was an important person in Iceland who fought for women's rights. She especially worked for women to have the right to vote, which is called women's suffrage.
Bríet started the first magazine for women in Iceland. It was called Kvennablaðið, which means The Women's Newspaper. She also served on the city council in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland.
Her Life and Work
Bríet was a trained school teacher. She finished her studies at a women's school in 1880. After that, she started working in Reykjavík in 1887.
Even before moving to the capital, Bríet wrote many articles about women's rights. She often used the pen name AESA. Once in Reykjavík, she also gave speeches to support women's rights.
In 1888, Bríet married Valdimar Ásmundsson, who was an editor. She was very active in many areas:
- In 1894, she started a society for women.
- From 1895 to 1926, she managed Kvennablaðið, the women's magazine.
- In 1897, she helped create a society for journalists.
- From 1898 to 1903, she also managed a magazine for children.
Fighting for Women's Vote
Bríet traveled to the United States, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in 1902 and 1904. These trips helped her learn more about the worldwide movement for women's rights.
In 1906, she went to a big meeting in Copenhagen about women's right to vote. There, a famous leader named Carrie Chapman Catt encouraged Bríet to start a similar group in Iceland.
So, in 1907, Bríet founded the first society in Iceland dedicated to women's right to vote. It was called Kvenréttindafélag Íslands. She was the president of this group for many years, from 1907 to 1911 and again from 1912 to 1927.
In Politics
Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir was one of the first women ever elected to the Reykjavík city council. She served on the council from 1908 to 1912 and again from 1914 to 1920.
She also tried to get elected to Althingi, which is the parliament of Iceland. She ran for parliament in 1916 and again in 1926, but she was not successful.
Bríet's daughter, Laufey Valdimarsdóttir, also became a well-known lawyer.
See also
In Spanish: Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir para niños
