“The Women’s Matter Is a Legal Matter” Cover Image

„Kwestia kobieca jest kwestią prawną”
“The Women’s Matter Is a Legal Matter”

Author(s): Helena Flam
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, History of Law, Sociology, Sociology of Law
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego
Keywords: emancipation; equal rights; female lawyers; women lawyers’ associations and unions; the Weimar Republic; the Federal Republic of Germany

Summary/Abstract: In this article, the author considers women’s reformist milieus and women’s legal associations and unions, as well as investigates their development since the Weimar Republic until the 1950s. She discusses the actions of female lawyers educated in Germany as well as the activity of their associations with regard to the fight for equality. Even though German universities started to accept women as law students at the beginning of the 20th century – and women could not sit exams or work in their profession until 1922 (except for several Lands) – it did not stop women from establishing their own associations and being active in forcing changes leading to equal education, employment, voting, or family and civil laws for both men and women. Their efforts were terminated by WWII. Nevertheless, the experience they had gained in the public activities bore fruits during the mobilisation of women at the time of conflict with regard to the wording of the Article 3 in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany.

  • Issue Year: 2019
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 125-142
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Polish