Women’s Right to Vote in Lithuania
Women’s Day Lithuania / November 2, (1918)
November 2, 1918, Lithuania granted women the right to vote. The Temporary Constitution enshrined equal voting rights for women and men. This made Lithuania one of Europe’s pioneering nations in women’s suffrage.
Lithuania achieved this milestone ahead of many Western nations. France granted women voting rights only after World War Two. Switzerland waited until 1971. Moreover, Lithuania implemented women’s voting rights before the United States.
Early Beginnings of the Women’s Movement
The first organized women’s movement fighting for equal rights began in 1905. That year marked a turning point. The Lithuanian Women’s Association was established on September 22-23, 1905, in Vilnius.
The organization had clear goals. It demanded autonomy for Lithuania. It called for a parliament elected through universal suffrage. Most importantly, it fought for gender equality.
The Great Seimas of Vilnius in 1905 recognized equality principles between women and men. This early recognition laid the groundwork. However, Lithuania was not yet independent. The vision required time to become reality.
Key Organizations in the Suffrage Movement
Lithuanian Women’s Association (1905)
Felicija Bortkevičienė, Ona Pleirytė-Puidienė, and Stanislava Landsbergaitė formed the elected board. They created programs demanding equal rights. They organized meetings and protests. Their work spread across Lithuania’s cities and rural areas.
Žiburėlis (Light) Society (1890)
Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė founded Žiburėlis in 1890. The society supported talented children’s education. Felicija Bortkevičienė became its leader in 1903. This organization combined education with activism.
First Lithuanian Women’s Congress (1907)
Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė organized and chaired the First Congress of Lithuanian Women in 1907. The congress brought activists together. It strengthened the movement’s voice. Women discussed strategies and shared experiences.
Pioneering Women Leaders
Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė (1861-1943)
Gabrielė was a writer, educator, and fierce advocate. She used the pseudonym “Bitė,” meaning “bee”. The name reflected her dedication to tireless work.
She wrote approximately 400 articles to various newspapers. Her writings promoted women’s education. They challenged traditional gender roles. She published and edited Žibutė newspaper from 1911-1913.
Her political achievements were remarkable. In May 1920, she was elected to the Constituent Assembly. She chaired the first session as the second oldest member. She attended international women’s conferences in Stockholm (1911) and Geneva (1920).
In 1926, she was a presidential candidate, receiving one vote. Though unsuccessful, her candidacy was historic.
Felicija Bortkevičienė (1873-1945)
Felicija was a politician and publisher. She became a central committee member of the Lithuanian Democratic Party in 1902. She joined the Lithuanian Women’s Association board in 1905.
She was a delegate to the Great Seimas of Vilnius. As Peasant Union manager, she helped pass a resolution for universal suffrage. This resolution called for voting rights regardless of sex, religion, or nationality.
Felicija was a book smuggler, print worker, and social activist. She became the first female Freemason in Lithuania. She was elected to the Constituent Assembly in 1920. However, she initially declined due to her busy schedule. She joined in January 1921 after another member’s death.
Ona Mašiotienė (Brazauskaitė-Mašiotienė)
Ona Mašiotienė was a teacher and political activist. At the Great Seimas of Vilnius, she presented on equal rights principles. Her contributions shaped early suffrage discussions.
Other Notable Activists
The movement included many dedicated women. Writer Žemaitė participated in the First All-Russian Women’s Congress in 1908. Ona Pleirytė-Puidienė, Marija Pečkauskaitė, and Sofija Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė also contributed significantly.
From Constitution to Implementation
The November 1918 declaration was just the beginning. In 1919, the Constituent Seimas adopted a law giving women the right to stand as candidates and vote. The 1920 elections marked the first opportunity for women to participate.
Women and men gained their election rights simultaneously. This unique feature distinguished Lithuania from many other nations. Most countries granted suffrage to women years after men.
Women in the Constituent Assembly
Five women were elected to the 150-seat Constituent Assembly in 1920. They were Emilija Spudaitė-Gvildienė, Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė, Magdalena Draugelytė-Galdikienė, Ona Muraškaitė-Račiukaitienė, and Salomėja Stakauskaitė.
The first parliamentary session was chaired exclusively by women. Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė presided as chair. Ona Muraškaitė-Račiukaitienė, age 24, served as secretary. This was unprecedented globally.
Women focused on education, culture, social security, and health. They addressed alcohol use and championed women’s rights. Their legislative work created lasting impact.
Challenges and Opposition
The path to equality faced obstacles. Many parties were reluctant to place women at the top of electoral lists. Only the Socialist People’s Democratic Party put Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė first in one constituency.
Some citizens opposed women’s political participation. The president and prime minister sent messages urging voters to respect gender equality. Their appeals called for civic duty over prejudice.
International Context and Recognition
Lithuania became one of the first European states to allow women to vote on November 2, 1918. This achievement placed Lithuania among progressive democracies. New Zealand led globally in 1893. Finland followed in 1906. Norway in 1913. But Lithuania surpassed many larger European powers.
In 2018, President Dalia Grybauskaitė, who chaired the Council of Women World Leaders, called November 2 a democracy victory. The date proved Lithuania’s commitment to modern state principles.
Commemorating the Centennial
Lithuania celebrated 100 years of women’s suffrage in 2018. Vilnius installed female-figure traffic lights on a busy downtown street. The symbols reminded citizens that gender equality requires ongoing effort.
Lithuanian Post issued a commemorative postage stamp worth 0.55 EUR. The symbolic gesture honored all suffrage fighters collectively.
Lasting Impact on Lithuanian Society
The first woman was elected President of the Republic only in May 2009. Dalia Grybauskaitė became Lithuania’s first female president. Her election came 91 years after suffrage was granted.
The early suffrage victory established important precedents. Women’s suffrage became constitutionally entrenched from Lithuania’s independence beginning. This foundation shaped Lithuanian democracy’s development.
Contemporary Gender Equality Challenges
Despite the historic achievement, challenges persist. In Lithuania, women’s gross hourly earnings average 14.4 percent below men’s. This compares to the EU average of 16.2 percent.
Professor Dovile Jakniunaite noted the suffrage centennial received minimal government attention. She emphasized ongoing issues. Gender-based violence remains a concern. Women’s political under-representation continues. Gender role stereotypes persist in education.
Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius noted that modern society cannot exist without fully empowered women. Yet he acknowledged the world remains halfway on this journey.
Looking Forward, Women’s Right to Vote in Lithuania
Lithuania’s 1918 achievement demonstrated remarkable progressive vision. The country recognized that democracy requires full participation from all citizens. Women and men together built the newly independent state.
Today’s Lithuania must honor this legacy through action. Closing the gender pay gap requires commitment. Combating gender-based violence demands resources and political will. Increasing women’s representation in leadership positions needs structural support.
The pioneers—Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė, Felicija Bortkevičienė, Ona Mašiotienė, and countless others—showed what courage and determination can achieve. They challenged deeply entrenched patriarchal norms. They organized, wrote, spoke, and persisted.
Their success was not inevitable. It required decades of organizing. It demanded personal sacrifice. Many faced ridicule, arrest, and professional obstacles. But they persevered because they believed in equality’s transformative power.
Modern Lithuania stands at a crossroads. The country can either rest on its historic laurels or recommit to the equality principles established in 1918. True gender equality remains an ongoing project, not a finished achievement.
The November 2, 1918 declaration opened doors. However, walking through those doors and building a truly equal society requires every generation’s renewed commitment. Lithuania’s suffrage pioneers offer inspiration. Their example reminds us that transformative change is possible when people organize, speak out, and refuse to accept injustice.
The journey toward full gender equality continues. Lithuania’s early suffrage victory proves the nation has the capacity for bold, progressive action. Honoring that history means continuing the work those pioneering women began over a century ago.
Development of women’s rights in Lithuania:
Recognition of women’s political rights
In Lithuania women’s political rights were not recognized until the beginning of the 20th century. The first woman was elected President of the Republic only after a century, in May 2009.
Women’s struggle for political equality and suffrage at the end of the 19th and at the turn of the 20th century correlates with the movement for re-establishment of an independent State of Lithuania, that was lost at the end of the 18th century, and constitutional consolidation of equality and recognition of women’s suffrage at the beginning of the 20th century. The Great Seimas of Vilnius in 1905 recognized the principles of equality of women and men and declared the principles of equal general election to the Seimas (parliament). These principles were implemented after Lithuania regained independence in 1918 and they were declared in the first provisional Constitution of 1918. In Lithuania, women and men gained their election rights at the same time – this could be viewed as a very significant feature of women’s suffrage rights development. Parliamentarians of both genders (sexes) were elected to the first constituent Seimas (parliament) during the first national elections in 1920; women were active parliamentarians and played a particular role in the state political developments.
Women’s rights in Lithuania remain an important question of law, however, historically, for ages the legal status of women has been related to property rights – in particular, the right of succession and the right to foster their children. In the 16th century Lithuanian Statutes formally authorised a noble girl to get married on her own free will and prohibited to force a noblewoman to be married without her consent. (Mykolo Romerio universitetas)
Lithuania marks 100 years since women got right to vote
November 2, 2018
“Today marks 100 years since Lithuanian women became one of the first in Europe to be granted the right to vote. With this democratic achievement, our country joined the first line of modern countries. Let us protect and defend the achieved victories,” Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė says.
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