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Women in Denmark
Painting by Anna Ancher. Interior with the Painter's Daughter Helga Sewing, 1890
The modern-day character and the historical status of women in Denmark has been influenced by their own involvement in women's movements and political participation in the history of Denmark. Their mark can be seen in the fields of politics, women's suffrage, and literature, among others.
The legal, civilian, and cultural status of women in prehistoric society during the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age in Scandinavia are somewhat obscure, but Viking Age sources indicate that women were relatively free, compared to men, contemporary societies, and the later Middle Ages.[4]
With the gradual introduction of Catholicism in Scandinavia in the early Middle Ages, women's rights were increasingly regulated and restricted. During the Middle Ages, the legal rights of women in Denmark were regulated by the county laws, the Medieval Scandinavian law (landskabslovene) from the 13th century, and therefore varied somewhat between different counties. However, a married woman was generally under the guardianship of her spouse.[5] Sons and daughters both had right to inheritance, though sisters inherited half of the portion of a brother.[5][bettersourceneeded]
The cities were regulated by the city laws. With the exception of widows, who inherited the right to the trade of her late spouse, women were not allowed membership in the guilds, which monopolized most professions in the cities. However, in practice, it was very common for women, whether married or not, to be granted dispensation to manage a minor business for the sake of her own support and become a købekone (businesswoman), a custom which continued until women were given the same rights as men within commerce in 1857.[5]
The Civil Code of 1683, or Christian 5.s Danske Lov (also enacted in the Danish province of Norway as the Civil Code of 1687 or Christian Vs Norske Lov),[6] defined all unmarried females, regardless of age, as minors under the guardianship of their closest male relative, and a married woman under the guardianship of her spouse, while only widows were of legal majority.[7] This code was in effect until the 19th century: in 1857, unmarried women were given legal majority, while married women were given the same right in 1899.[5]
Girls were included as pupils in the first attempt of a public elementary school system in 1739, though this attempt was not fully realized until 1814.[5] From the foundation of the J. Cl. Todes Døtreskole in the 1780s, schools for secondary education for females were established in the capital of Copenhagen, though female teachers were only allowed to teach girls or very small boys.[5] One of the first schools for females of any note was the Døtreskolen af 1791, and in the 1840s, schools for girls spread outside the capital and a net of secondary education girl schools was established in Denmark. The first college for women, the teachers seminary Den højere Dannelsesanstalt for Damer, was opened in 1846.[8] In 1875, women were given access to university education.[5] In the reformed law of access in 1921, women were formally given access to all professions and positions in society with the exception of some military and clerical positions and the position of judge (given in 1936).[5]
There have been two major periods of women's movement in Denmark. The first one was from 1870 to 1920. The second was from 1970 to 1985.
The first women's movement was led by the Dansk Kvindesamfund ('Danish Women's Society'). Line Luplau was one of the most notable women in this era. Tagea Brandt was also part of this movement, and in her honor was established Tagea Brandt Rejselegat or Travel Scholarship for women. The Dansk Kvindesamfund's efforts as a leading group of women for women led to the existence of the revised Danish constitution of 1915, giving women the right to vote and the provision of equal opportunity laws during the 1920s, which influenced the present-day legislative measures to grant women access to education, work, marital rights and other obligations.[9]
The second wave of women's movement was organized with the Rødstrømpebevægelsen (the Red Stocking movement). The effort led to "institutionalized feminism" (managed directly by the Danish government) and to the "mainstreaming of equal opportunities" between Danish men and women.[9]
Women in Denmark gained the right to vote on 5 June 1915.[12]
The Danish Women's Society (DK) debated, and informally supported, women's suffrage from 1884, but it did not support it publicly until in 1887, when it supported the suggestion of the parliamentarian Fredrik Bajer to grant women municipal suffrage.[8] In 1886, in response to the perceived overcautious attitude of DK in the question of women suffrage, Matilde Bajer founded the Kvindelig Fremskridtsforening (or KF, 1886–1904) to deal exclusively with the right to suffrage, both in municipal and national elections, and in 1887, the Danish women publicly demanded the right for women's suffrage for the first time through the KF. However, as the KF was very much involved with worker's rights and pacifist activity, the question of women's suffrage was in fact not given full attention, which led to the establishment of the strictly women's suffrage movement Kvindevalgretsforeningen (1889–1897).[8] In 1890, the KF and the Kvindevalgretsforeningen united with five women's trade worker's unions to found the De samlede Kvindeforeninger, and through this form, an active women's suffrage campaign was arranged through agitation and demonstration. However, after having been met by compact resistance, the Danish suffrage movement almost discontinued with the dissolution of the De samlede Kvindeforeninger in 1893.[8]
Women won the right to vote in municipal elections on April20,1908. However it was not until June5,1915, that they were allowed to vote in Rigsdag elections.[13]
Parliamentary appointments and elections
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Prime Minister of Denmark from 2011 to 2015
In 1918, a total of twelve Danish women were elected to the Danish parliament. Four of those women were elected to the Lower House (known as the Folketinget), while eight Danish women were elected to the Upper House (known as the Landstinget). In 1924, Nina Bang became the first female minister of Denmark, making Denmark the second country in the world to have a female minister.[14] Jytte Anderson served as Minister of Employment from 1993 to 1998. Anderson was later appointed in 1998 as Senior Minister for Construction and Housing. In 1999, Andersen was appointed as the first Danish Minister on Gender Equality in 1999.[14]
A second female minister in Denmark was elected twenty years later (counting from 1924). Subsequently, the percentage of female members in governments of Denmark, has generally increased, and in 2000 it was at its highest with 45%.[14]
The first female mayor in Denmark was Eva Madsen who became mayor of Stege in 1950,[15] and the first female head of state (statsminister) was Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who became prime minister in 2011. Mette Frederiksen is Denmark's current prime minister since the election in June 2019.
Family life
Percentage of births to unmarried women, in selected countries, including Denmark, 1980 and 2007. By 1980, Denmark already had a high percentage (compared to most other countries) of births outside of marriage
The Danish culture is largely irreligious, in particular when it comes to religious dogmas, and this is also reflected in the everyday social life, including family culture. As in many other Western countries, the connection between childbirth and marriage has thus been significantly weakened since the latter half of the 20th century. As of 2016, 54% of births were to unmarried women.[17] During the 1960s and 70s, Denmark was one of the first European countries to change its social norms towards accepting unmarried cohabitation and childbearing, at a time when this was still seen as unacceptable in many other parts of the continent.
The maternal mortality rate in Denmark is 12 deaths per 100,000 live births (as of 2010[update]).[18] Although this is low by international standards, it is higher than in many other Western countries, and it has increased in recent years.[19]
Abortion laws were liberalized in 1973, allowing the procedure to be done on-demand during the first 12 weeks, and in specific circumstances at later stages of the pregnancy.[20]
The total fertility rate (TFR) in Denmark is 1.73 children born per woman (2014 estimates), which, although below the replacement rate, is one of the highest in Europe.[22]
Denmark has a reputation of being "open" with regards to sexuality, perhaps due to historical factors, such as being the first country to abolish censorship and legalize pornography in 1967. However, today the Danish pornography industry is minimal compared to many other countries, with large-scale production of pornography having moved to other countries.[19]
Violence against women
The issues of violence against women and domestic violence are controversial;[24][25] according to a 2014 study published by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Denmark had the highest prevalence rate of physical and sexual violence against women in Europe.[26][27] Denmark has also received harsh criticism for inadequate laws in regard to sexual violence in a 2008 report produced by Amnesty International,[28] which described Danish laws as "inconsistent with international human rights standards".[29] This led to Denmark reforming its sexual offenses legislation in 2013.[30][31][32] Denmark has also ratified the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.[33] A 2010 Eurobarometer poll on violence against women found that victim blaming attitudes used to be common in Denmark: 71% of Danes agreed with the assertion that the "provocative behaviour of women" was a cause of violence against women, well above the 52% European average.[34] According to the 2016 report, 13% of respondents agree that sexual intercourse without consent can be justified in certain situations.[35] A 2019 poll found that the vast majority of Danes are aware of the seriousness of domestic abuse, with more than 86% of respondents rating multiple forms of violence against women as "very serious".[36]
The GREVIO Evaluation Report of the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, to which Denmark is a party, expressed concern about the lenient punishments given to perpetrators of violence against women, stating that (page 68, paragraph 38): "Moreover, GREVIO encourages the Danish authorities to ensure understanding among the Danish judiciary that lenient sentences in domestic violence cases and other forms of violence against women do not serve the principle of ensuring justice for victims and ending impunity of perpetrators (paragraph 182)."[37]
Notable Danish women
Suffrage and politics
Line luplau seen in the foreground on her daughter Marie Luplau's large group portrait painting From the Early Days of the Fight for Women's Suffrage (1897).
Among notable female Danes was Matilde Bajer, who – together with her husband Fredrik Bajer – founded the Danish Women's Society in 1871, one of the oldest women's rights organizations in the world. Another notable Danish woman was Lise Nørgaard (b. 1917), a Danish author and journalist during the 1930s and the 1940s. She authored the autobiographical books such as the Kun en pige ('Just a Girl', 1992) and De sendte en dame ('They Sent a Lady', 1993).[9] Another notable Danish woman was Line Luplau, who achieved national fame in 1887 when she supported the cause to grant women to vote during local elections.[12]
Literature
In literature, one of the most notable female literary writers in Denmark was Karen Blixen (1885–1962). She was also known by the pseudonyms Isak Dinesen and Tania Blixen. Blixen was the author of the Seven Gothic Tales (1934), a collection of short stories, which she wrote at the age of 49.[38]
Women pioneers
This lists firsts for women in Denmark in different areas in chronological order. See also: Timeline of women in Denmark
First female civil servant: Mathilde Fibiger (as the first female telegraph operator, she was counted as a civil servant), 1866[39]
First female university students: Johanne Gleerup and Nielsine Nielsen, 1877[5]
Fredrik Bajer was a Danish writer, teacher, and pacifist politician who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1908 together with Klas Pontus Arnoldson.
The Danish Center for Research on Women and Gender (KVINFO) is a Danish information center about women's issues. It primarily aims to provide the general public with information about the results of women's studies and gender research undertaken in Denmark and internationally.
Caroline Sophie Testman, was a Danish feminist. She was the co-founder of the Dansk Kvindesamfund or DK and its chairman 1872-1883.
Line Luplau (1823–1891) was a Danish feminist and suffragist. She was the co-founder of the Danske Kvindeforeningers Valgretsforbund or DKV and first chairperson in 1889–1891.
Eline Johanne Frederikke Hansen, was a Danish feminist and peace leader.
The Danish Women's Society or DWS is Denmark's oldest women's rights organization. It was founded in 1871 by activist Matilde Bajer and her husband Fredrik Bajer; Fredrik was a Member of Parliament and the 1908 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The association stands for an inclusive, intersectional and progressive liberal feminism, and advocates for the rights of all women and girls and LGBT rights. It publishes the world's oldest women's magazine, Kvinden & Samfundet, established in 1885. The Danish Women's Society is a member of the International Alliance of Women and is a sister association of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights and the Icelandic Women's Rights Association.
Nielsine Nielsen was the first female academic and physician in Denmark. She graduated in 1885 and in 1889 she established her own medical practice and worked as a general practitioner. She was active in the gender equality movement through her work in Danish Women's Society.
Helga Charlotte Norrie, née Harbou, was a Danish nurse, women's rights activist and educator. She was a major contributor to the development of nursing as an acceptable profession for women and also campaigned for women's rights, especially voting rights.
The Lesbian Movement was a Danish organization for lesbians established in 1974 in Copenhagen by a group of women including Vibeke Vasbo who were unhappy about the degree of intolerance towards lesbians in the Danish Redstocking Movement.
This is a timeline of women in Denmark, noting important events in Danish women's history.
Clara Sophie Tybjerg née Sarauw was a Danish women's rights activist, pacifist and educator. In 1915, she attended the International Women's Conference in The Hague, together with Thora Daugaard. Thereafter she helped establish and, from 1916 to 1920, headed the Danske Kvinders Fredskæde or Danish Women's Peace Chain which became the Danish branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. She is also remembered for helping to bring hunger-stricken children from Vienna to Denmark after the First World War.
Benny Sophie Caroline Andrea Cederfeld de Simonsen née Treschow (1865–1952) was a Danish peace activist. She is remembered as an effective member of Danske Kvinders Fredskæde, the Danish branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), later known as Kvindernes Internationale Liga for Fred og Frihed (KILFF). From 1931 to 1939, she was the organization's vice-president. She was an active participant at the international WILPF conferences from 1926 to 1937 as well as a member of their international committee where she dealt with the rights of minorities.
Johanne Elisabeth Münter née Johnson (1844–1921) was a Danish writer and women's rights activist.
The Danske Kvindeforeningers Valgsretsudvalg was established in 1898 by Louise Nørlund, with support from Line Luplau, in order to work towards obtaining the vote for women. In 1904, the organization's name was changed to Danske Kvindeforeningers Valgretsforbund (DKV) or the Danish Women's Society's Suffrage Union.
The Kvindelig Fremskridtsforening (KF), or Women's Progress Association, was a Danish women's association which was founded in 1885 by Matilde Bajer and Elisabeth Ouchterlony. They had both been co-founders of the Danish Women's Society in 1871 but now wanted an organization which included specific attention to women's suffrage in municipal and national elections, an issue which was not on the agenda of the apolitical Women's Society. The organization also addressed women's involvement as peace activists and as members of the workforce.
Kvindevalgretsforeningen (KVF), or the Women's Suffrage Association, was a Danish organization established by Line Luplau in 1889 specifically to promote women's suffrage. The association not only organized meetings on voting rights but participated in electoral meetings, asking candidates how they felt about women's participation in provincial and national elections. The first meeting was held on 15 February 1889 with 1,500 participants. In addition to Luplau, Louise Nørlund and Johanne Meyer, there were also some prominent gentlemen in the audience, including Fredrik Bajer and Jens Christian Hostrup.
The Danske Kvinders Forsvarsforening (DKF), or Danish Women's Defence Association, was a Danish women's organization established in 1907 to improve the readiness of the Danish armed forces as tensions increased across Europe. With a membership of some 50,000, it was one of the largest Danish women's organizations up to the First World War. Politically neutral, it had chapters throughout the country. With a view to making Denmark's neutrality more convincing, it sensitized politicians to the need for more effective armed forces while encouraging men to take renewed interest in defence. In 1913, a collection from its membership provided funding for ammunition and uniforms for the voluntary shooting corps. After women had obtained voting rights in 1915, it was decided future progress on defence should be based on their political involvement. The organization was therefore dissolved in 1921.
Mary Bess Westenholz, pen name Bertel Wrads, was an influential Danish Unitarian, women's rights activist, writer and editor. She was the aunt of the author Karen Blixen, and is remembered for encouraging her niece to publish her first short stories.
Ane Marie Louise Dagmar Hjort née Harbou (1860–1902) was a Danish schoolteacher, writer and women's rights activist. A member of the Danish Women's Society, she was particularly interested in achieving women's voting rights and became a member of the Danske Kvindeforeningers Valgretsudvalg when it was established in 1898. She called not only for equality of the sexes in social, economic and political spheres but for women's liberation from family ties to the home. In addition to the articles she contributed to journals and newspapers, she compiled a history of the women's rights movement in North America. Published posthumously as Kvinderetsbevægelsen i Nordamerika (1906), it was widely used in orienting development of the women's movement in Denmark.
1 2 3 Jacobsen, Helle. "Women in Decision-making". Europäische Datenbank: Frauen in Führungspositionen. European Database (2000). Retrieved 17 November 2013.
↑ "DANISH LITERATURE". DENMARK (the official website of Denmark), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
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