Emilie Rathou facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Emilie Rathou
Born	8 May 1862 Blekinge, Sweden
Died	12 October 1948 Stockholm, Sweden
Known for	temperance and women's rights activist

Emilie Rathou (born 8 May 1862 – died 12 October 1948) was a Swedish journalist and newspaper editor. She was also an elected official. Emilie was a strong supporter of the temperance movement and women's rights. The temperance movement worked to reduce or stop the use of alcohol.

In 1891, she made history in Stockholm. She was the first woman in Sweden to publicly ask for women to have the right to vote. She also started the Swedish branch of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.

Emilie Rathou's Life

Emilie Rathou was born in Blekinge County, Sweden. Her birth name was Maria Sandström. Her father was a businessman named Albert Gustafsson. Her mother was Anna Svensdotter. Emilie never married. She changed her last name to Rathou in 1882.

She studied to become a teacher in Kalmar. Emilie taught from 1882 to 1885. After that, she became a speaker for the International Organisation of Good Templars. This group also worked for temperance. She spoke for them from 1885 to 1900. Emilie also owned and edited a newspaper called Dalmasen from 1890 to 1895.

Fighting for a Better World

Emilie Rathou believed that alcohol use and the unfair treatment of women were connected. She worked hard for both causes. She wanted everyone to be treated equally. She spoke out against social unfairness and different rules for men and women.

The Temperance Movement

In 1900, Emilie started the Östermalm branch of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. This group was called Vita Bandet (The White Ribbon) in Sweden. She was its leader from 1900 to 1935. She also served as vice-chairperson of the national Swedish Temperance Union from 1902 to 1903. Later, she was its secretary from 1903 to 1947.

The Östermalm branch was the first true Swedish branch of the international Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Emilie Rathou was important in starting this group in Sweden. She also helped set up local branches all over the country. From 1911 to 1912, she was part of a government committee that looked into temperance issues.

Working for Women's Rights

Emilie Rathou was a pioneer for women's rights in Sweden. In 1888, she became the first woman in Sweden to speak publicly about women getting the right to vote. This was more than ten years before the National Association for Women's Suffrage was even formed. In 1891, she was the first Swedish woman to give such a speech in Stockholm, the capital city.

In 1893, Emilie was chosen to represent the Swedish Social Democratic Party. She was the only woman elected to the Folkriksdagen (People's Riksdag). This was a special meeting held in Stockholm from 1893 to 1896. Its goal was to work towards universal suffrage, meaning everyone having the right to vote.

Emilie was involved in the Social Democratic working-class movement. In 1892, she started the Social Democrat women's club called Stockholms allmänna kvinnoklubb. This club quickly brought together many important social democratic women. These included Alina Jägerstedt, Kata Dalström, Anna Sterky, Anna Lindhagen, and Amanda Horney.

Emilie Rathou was known for her strong, radical views. However, she didn't fully join the main women's movement. She felt it was mostly led by upper-class women. She also felt that the working-class movement didn't always see how important women's issues were. So, she often shared her feminist ideas through her work in the temperance movement.

Award

In 1918, Emilie Rathou received a special Swedish Royal Medal called Illis Quorum. This award recognized her important contributions.

Images for kids

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  Emilie Rathou, a Swedish activist.

See also

In Spanish: Emilie Rathou para niños