Ligue belge du droit des femmes facts for kids
The Belgian League for the Rights of Women (French: Ligue belge du droit des femmes) was an important group started in Belgium in 1892. It was created by Marie Popelin, who had studied law, and her lawyer, Louis Frank. They formed the League because Marie Popelin was not allowed to work as a lawyer, even though she had finished her studies.
The League was inspired by a similar group in France. Right away, about 300 people joined. At first, the group focused on making sure women had equal rights in general. Later, in 1912, they decided that getting women the right to vote was their most important goal.
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Why Was the League Formed?
The League was created because Marie Popelin faced unfair treatment. She had earned a law degree but was told she could not practice law. This showed that women did not have the same opportunities as men. The League wanted to change these unfair rules.
Connecting with the World
In 1892, a woman named May Wright Sewall visited Europe. She was promoting the International Council of Women (ICW). May Sewall invited the Belgian League to send people to a big meeting in Chicago in 1893. This meeting was called the World's Congress of Representative Women. The League's efforts eventually led to the creation of the Conseil national des femmes belges in 1905. This group became the Belgian part of the International Council of Women.
Spreading Ideas and Facing Challenges
From the very beginning, the League published its own newspaper. It was also called Ligue belge du droit des femmes. This newspaper helped Belgians learn about new ideas in feminism, both at home and around the world. It was published until World War I started.
The League faced some challenges in the late 1890s. Isabelle Gatti de Gamond encouraged some members to support socialist political ideas. However, Marie Popelin wanted the League to stay out of politics. Because of these different views, Isabelle Gatti and her friends left the League in 1899. She then joined the Belgian Labour Party.
Important Achievements and New Goals
In the early 1900s, the League achieved some important successes. They helped shop assistants get the right to sit down when there were no customers. They also helped limit how much shop assistants had to work at night.
Getting women the right to vote became a top goal for the League later on. At a big meeting in Brussels in April 1912, the League decided that voting rights were their main priority. The next year, Jane Brigode, who was the League's secretary, asked all women's groups to work together to achieve women's suffrage.
After the First World War
After the First World War, people tried to restart the League. They held a few meetings in the 1920s. However, not much more happened. By the 1930s, many Belgian women became more interested in working for peace.
