Icelandic Women's Rights Association

The Icelandic Women's Rights Association (Icelandic: Kvenréttindafélag Íslands) was founded in 1907 by Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir, who served as its president for its first 20 years. The principal aim was to ensure that women received full political equality with men, the right to vote and the same right to employment as men. The Icelandic Women's Association had been established in 1895, but it was concerned only with rights for women in education and economic affairs.[1][2] Bjarnhéðinsdóttir invited the Women's Association to take on the all important matter of suffrage but when they refused, she founded the Women's Rights Association, stating that the one most important thing was "political rights, women's suffrage and women's eligibility in politics".[3]

Early photograph of the Association's members

The Association achieved early success in 1908 when four women Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir, Katrín Magnússon, Guðrún Björnsdóttir, and Þórunn Jónassen; were elected to the city council of Reykjavík.[4] In 1911, women received the same treatment as men in education and by 1920, they received equal suffrage rights in parliamentary elections. The organization later became non-partisan, supporting women's rights to jobs and in public life.[5]

References
  1. Taylor, Marion Ann; Choi, Agnes (2012). Handbook of Women Biblical Interpreters: A Historical and Biographical Guide. Baker Books. pp. 172–. ISBN 978-1-4412-3867-2.
  2. Adams, Jad (2014). Women and the Vote: A World History. Oxford University Press. pp. 176–. ISBN 978-0-19-870684-7.
  3. Styrkársdóttir, Auður (2006). "Women's suffrage in Iceland". Kvennasögusaffn Íslands. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  4. Styrkársdóttur, Eftir Auði (2 February 2008). "Vel byrjar það!". Lesbók Morgunblaðsins. ISSN 1670-3898. Gegnir: 000447333. Retrieved 6 August 2019 – via timarit.is.
  5. Jakobsson, Sverrir; Halfdanarson, Gudmundur (2016). Historical Dictionary of Iceland. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 16–. ISBN 978-1-4422-6291-1.
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