Women’s Right to Vote in Portugal
Women’s Day Portugal / April 25, (1975)
Exhibition Mulheres do Meu País (Women of My Country) in 1948 by Maria Lamas, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Introduction
Portugal’s journey toward women’s suffrage unfolded through a complex political landscape marked by monarchical collapse, republican experimentation, and authoritarian rule. Unlike many other Western nations where women’s voting rights were granted in a single, clear legislative moment, Portugal experienced a fragmented process with partial advances and setbacks spanning several decades. This article explores the winding road to women’s enfranchisement in Portugal, highlighting the key dates, pioneering figures, and the political context that shaped this important democratic development.
The First Milestone: May 28, 1911
The exact first date when Portuguese women gained limited voting rights was May 28, 1911, when the Electoral Code of the newly established First Portuguese Republic was approved. However, this historic moment came with significant limitations that reveal much about the attitudes of the time.
This law allowed voting rights to Portuguese citizens over 21, who could read and write—without explicitly mentioning gender. Seizing this ambiguity, Dr. Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, a 33-year-old physician, widow, and mother, successfully registered to vote, arguing that as a literate head of household who met all requirements except being male (which wasn’t explicitly stated), she should be permitted to cast a ballot.
On May 28, 1911, Dr. Ângelo became the first Portuguese woman to vote in a national election, participating in the vote for the Constituent Assembly. Her victory, however, was short-lived. The Republican government quickly amended the electoral law in 1913 to explicitly limit voting rights to “male citizens,” closing the loophole that had allowed her historic vote.
The Long Path to Full Suffrage
Portugal’s path to women’s suffrage was neither straight nor swift. After Dr. Ângelo’s momentary triumph in 1911, Portuguese women faced a prolonged struggle through changing political regimes:
First Republic Period (1910-1926)
Despite its initial progressive promise, the Portuguese First Republic passed the 1913 Electoral Law that explicitly restricted voting to male citizens. Women’s organizations continued to advocate for suffrage throughout this period, but with limited success.
Military Dictatorship and Estado Novo (1926-1974)
Following the 1926 military coup that ended the First Republic, Portugal entered a period of authoritarianism that evolved into António de Oliveira Salazar’s “Estado Novo” (New State) regime. Surprisingly, it was during this conservative dictatorship that women regained limited voting rights:
- December 5, 1931: Decree No. 19,694 granted limited voting rights to women, who were heads of households or who had completed secondary or higher education, while only requiring literacy for men.
- 1934: Women with these qualifications could vote for local councils.
- 1946: The electoral law was amended to allow women with secondary education to vote, while men only needed to be literate.
- 1968: Equal voting rights for both genders were established—but only for literate citizens. Since illiteracy was higher among women, this still created a gender disparity.
The first national election where some Portuguese women could vote was held on February 8, 1934, for the National Assembly.
After the Carnation Revolution (1974-present)
Only after the Carnation Revolution of April 25, 1974, which toppled the authoritarian regime, did Portugal finally achieve universal suffrage:
- April 25, 1975: The first election with universal suffrage (regardless of gender or literacy) was held for the Constituent Assembly.
- April 2, 1976: The new democratic Constitution of Portugal explicitly guaranteed full and equal voting rights to all citizens aged 18 and over.
Key Figures in Portugal’s Suffrage Movement
Dr. Carolina Beatriz Ângelo (1878-1911)
The most emblematic figure in Portuguese women’s suffrage history, Dr. Ângelo was a medical doctor, feminist, and activist who became the first woman to vote in Portugal—and one of the first in all of Southern Europe. Her strategic use of the electoral law’s ambiguity in 1911 represents a seminal moment in Portuguese women’s rights. Tragically, she died just months after her historic vote, never seeing how the government would respond by explicitly excluding women from voting.
Ana de Castro Osório (1872-1935)
Often called the “mother of Portuguese feminism,” Osório was a writer, publisher, and activist who founded the Portuguese Republican Women’s Association (Associação Republicana das Mulheres Portuguesas) in 1908. She authored the influential book “Portuguese Women” (1905), one of the first feminist manifestos in Portugal, which demanded education, employment rights, and suffrage for women. While supporting the Republican movement that overthrew the monarchy in 1910, she became disillusioned when the Republic failed to grant women voting rights.
Adelaide Cabete (1867-1935)
A physician, teacher, and women’s rights advocate, Cabete became the president of the National Council of Portuguese Women (Conselho Nacional das Mulheres Portuguesas) from 1914 to 1935. She represented Portugal at various international women’s congresses and campaigned tirelessly for women’s education, health rights, and suffrage. Though she lived mostly during times when Portuguese women couldn’t vote, her advocacy helped build the foundation for later advances.
Maria Lamas (1893-1983)
A journalist, writer, and feminist activist, Lamas led women’s resistance during Salazar’s dictatorship. As president of the National Council of Portuguese Women from 1945 until it was forcibly closed by the regime in 1947, she organized an influential exhibition on “Women’s Activities in Portugal” that demonstrated women’s societal contributions. Though primarily active during the Estado Novo period, her work in maintaining feminist consciousness during the dictatorship was crucial for post-revolution progress.
Women’s Organizations and the Suffrage Movement
Several organizations played important roles in the Portuguese suffrage movement:
Republican League of Portuguese Women (Liga Republicana das Mulheres Portuguesas)
Founded in 1909 by Ana de Castro Osório, Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, and others, this organization sought to connect women’s rights with the emerging republican movement. Their agenda included educational reform, divorce rights, and suffrage. After the 1910 Republican revolution, they presented a petition for women’s suffrage to the Constituent Assembly, which was ultimately rejected.
National Council of Portuguese Women (Conselho Nacional das Mulheres Portuguesas)
Established in 1914 and affiliated with the International Council of Women, this organization became Portugal’s longest-running women’s association until forced to close by the Salazar regime in 1947. Under the leadership of Adelaide Cabete and later Maria Lamas, it advocated for women’s political, educational, and economic rights throughout the turbulent political transitions of the early 20th century.
Association for Feminist Propaganda (Associação de Propaganda Feminista)
Founded in 1911 by Ana de Castro Osório, Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, and others after splitting from the Republican League, this organization focused specifically on suffrage advocacy, with close ties to international suffrage movements.
Portugal in European Context
Portugal’s path to women’s suffrage reflected broader patterns in Southern Europe, where Catholic influence and authoritarian regimes often delayed full enfranchisement:
- Finland: 1906 (first in Europe)
- Norway: 1913
- Denmark: 1915
- Spain: 1931 (suspended during Franco’s regime, restored 1975)
- Portugal: Limited from 1931, universal in 1975
- France: 1944
- Italy: 1945
- Greece: 1952
What makes Portugal’s case particularly interesting is how limited women’s suffrage was introduced during an authoritarian regime rather than a democratic government. The Estado Novo granted restricted voting rights to elite women partly to project an image of modernization internationally while maintaining traditional gender roles domestically.
The Paradox of Estado Novo’s Gender Politics
The Estado Novo period (1933-1974) represents a fascinating paradox in Portugal’s women’s suffrage history. While Salazar’s regime is rightfully remembered for its authoritarianism and traditional Catholic values that emphasized women’s domestic roles, it was also during this period that women regained limited voting rights after being explicitly excluded during the Republic.
This apparent contradiction reflected the regime’s complex political calculations:
- International legitimacy: Granting some voting rights to women helped present Portugal as a modern nation to the international community
- Electoral control: By limiting suffrage to educated women (often from conservative, wealthy families), the regime could expand voting rights without threatening its power
- Co-optation strategy: The partial enfranchisement of elite women was designed to undercut more radical feminist demands
The result was a class-based approach to women’s suffrage that reinforced rather than challenged social hierarchies. Well-educated women from privileged backgrounds gained limited political participation while the majority of Portuguese women remained excluded.
The Impact of the Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution of April 25, 1974, which peacefully overthrew the Estado Novo regime, marked the true turning point for women’s suffrage in Portugal. The immediate post-revolutionary period saw:
- The establishment of universal suffrage regardless of gender, education, or property
- The legalization of previously banned women’s organizations
- The emergence of new feminist groups addressing broader issues beyond voting rights
- The incorporation of gender equality principles in the 1976 Constitution
The first truly democratic elections with universal suffrage were held on April 25, 1975—exactly one year after the revolution—to elect a Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution. Women not only voted in large numbers but also began entering parliament, though female representation remained relatively low in the early democratic period.
Women in Portuguese Politics After Suffrage
While achieving voting rights represented a crucial milestone, women’s full political participation in Portugal evolved gradually:
- 1979: The first democratic local elections saw limited female representation
- 1980: Pintasilgo became Portugal’s first (and so far only) female Prime Minister, though in a caretaker capacity
- 1986: The first presidential election with universal suffrage (earlier presidents were elected indirectly)
- 2006: The Parity Law established a 33% minimum representation for either gender on electoral lists
- 2019: Women’s representation in Parliament reached 40% for the first time
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo (1930-2004) deserves special mention as Portugal’s first and only female Prime Minister (1979-1980). Though her term was brief, serving in a caretaker capacity before elections, her appointment represented a symbolic breakthrough in a country where women had only recently gained full voting rights.
Legacy and Contemporary Significance
The struggle for women’s suffrage in Portugal spanned multiple political regimes and generations of activists. Its legacy continues to shape Portuguese democracy in several ways:
- Legal framework: Gender equality is now constitutionally guaranteed in all spheres of Portuguese life
- Political representation: Portugal has achieved relatively high rates of female political representation compared to European averages, partly due to gender quota legislation
- Historical memory: Recent efforts to recognize pioneers like Carolina Beatriz Ângelo have increased public awareness of women’s suffrage history
- Democratic resilience: The delayed achievement of universal suffrage underscores the connection between gender equality and democratic development
In recent decades, Portugal has made significant strides in gender equality, with the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report showing consistent improvement. However, as in many countries, political equality on paper has not automatically translated to equal representation in leadership positions, demonstrating that the struggle begun by early suffragists continues in new forms.
Women’s Right to Vote in Portugal
The path to women’s suffrage in Portugal reflects the nation’s complex political journey through monarchy, republic, dictatorship, and democracy. From Carolina Beatriz Ângelo’s pioneering vote on May 28, 1911, to the limited suffrage granted during the Estado Novo, to the achievement of universal suffrage following the 1974 Carnation Revolution, Portuguese women’s political rights evolved through a series of partial advances rather than in a single transformative moment.
Understanding this history reveals much about the intersection of gender, class, and political ideology in Portuguese society. The fact that limited women’s voting rights emerged during an authoritarian period while being denied during the earlier Republican era highlights how women’s enfranchisement was often shaped by political calculations rather than principled commitment to gender equality.
Today, as Portugal continues to strengthen its democratic institutions and address ongoing gender disparities, the complicated legacy of its suffrage movement serves as both inspiration and caution—a reminder that political rights, once gained, must be vigilantly protected and continuously expanded to achieve their full transformative potential.