Katarina Milovuk facts for kids
Katarina Milovuk (1844–1913) was an important Serbian educator and a strong supporter of women's rights. She led the first school for higher education for women in Serbia. This school was called the Women's Grandes écoles in Belgrade, and she was its principal from 1863 to 1893. Katarina also started the very first women's organization in Serbia, known as the Žensko društvo (Women's Society).
A Pioneer in Education
Katarina Milovuk became the director of the new Women's Grande école in Belgrade in 1863. This was the first school in Serbia that offered higher education to women. It was also the only one until 1891.
At first, the program lasted three years. It grew to four years in 1866, five years in 1879, and six years in 1886. The school mainly trained women to become teachers in the national school system.
In the mid-1800s, new ideas about women's rights began to spread in Serbia. These ideas came from Western Europe. People believed that women should have more knowledge. This would help them be good mothers and smart partners for their husbands.
In 1875, Katarina Milovuk started the first women's organization in Serbia. It was called the Women's Society of Belgrade. This group was the most important women's organization in Serbia for many years. It remained so until the Circle of Serbian Sisters was formed in 1903. The society mainly focused on helping people. They helped poor women and children, especially children who had lost their parents in wars.
Fighting for Women's Right to Vote
In 1897, Katarina Milovuk tried to register to vote. When she was not allowed, she made an official complaint. A court rejected her complaint, but she did not give up.
In 1903, she wrote a letter to the Serbian King Alexander. She asked for women to have at least the right to be chosen for public office. She said that choosing and being responsible for that choice was a basic human right.
Katarina Milovuk made her last public appearance in 1913. She spoke at a big meeting in Budapest. This meeting was for the International Woman Suffrage Alliance. She passed away less than two months after this speech.
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The building of the Higher Women's School in Belgrade, built in 1860 and demolished in 1930
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Management of the Belgrade Women's Society, 1894
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Photograph of Katarina Milovuk with orders, with her signature
