The Bulgarian Women's Union (Bulgarian: ''Български женски съюз,'' 'Balgarski Zhenski Sayuz' \'b&l-gar-ski 'zhen-ski s&-'yuz\), was a women's rights organisation active in

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Maced ...

from 1901 to 1944. In 1901, the organisation was founded by

Vela Blagoeva Vela Blagoeva ( bg, Вела Благоева; 29 September 1859 – 21 July 1921) was a Bulgarian writer, journalist and teacher and is noted as one of the founders of the women's movement in Bulgaria. After completing a basic education in the Ott ...

Ekaterina Karavelova Ekaterina Karavelova ( bg, Екатерина Каравелова), (21 October 1860 in Rouschuk – 1 April 1947 in Sofia), was a Bulgarian educator, translator, publicist, suffragist and women's rights activist. She was the founder of the cul ...

Anna Karima Anna Karima, née ''Todora Velkova'' (1871–1949), was a Bulgarian writer, translator, editor and journalist, suffragist and women's rights activist. She was co-founder of the Bulgarian Women's Union, and served as its chairperson from 1901 to 19 ...

Kina Konova Kina Konova ( bg, Кина Конова) (Sevlievo, September 1872- Sofia, 2 May 1952), born Kina Mutafova, was a Bulgarian educator, translator, publicist, suffragist and women's rights activist. She was a co-founder and leader of the first local ...

Julia Malinova Julia Malinova, née ''Jakovlevna Scheider'' ( bg, Юлия Маринова (Яковлевна Шнайдер)) (1869-1953), was a Bulgarian suffragist and women's rights activist. She was co-founder of the Bulgarian Women's Union, and served as ...

, and

Zheni Pateva Jeni Bojilova-Pateva, also transliterated as Zheni Bozhilova-Pateva, ( bg, Жени Божилова-Патева; 1 December 1878 – 17 June 1955) was a Bulgarian teacher, writer, women's rights activist, and suffragist, who became involved i ...

. The organization was an umbrella organization of the 27 local women's organisations that had been established in Bulgaria since 1878. It was founded as a reply to the limitations of women's education and access to university studies in the 1890s, with the goal to further women's intellectual development and participation, arranged national congresses and used ''Zhenski glas'' as its organ. It was dissolved following the communist take over in Bulgaria in 1944 and replaced by the

Bulgarian National Women's Union Bulgarian National Women's Union was a state women's organization in Communist Bulgaria, founded in 1945. It was a state organization and a branch of the Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-ec ...

. ; Chairpersons: # 1901-1906:

# 1908-1910:

# 1912-1926:

# 1926-1944:

Dimitrana Ivanova Dimitrana Ivanova, née ''Petrova'' ( bg, Димитрана Иванова, 1881–1960), was a Bulgarian educational reformer, suffragist and women's rights activist. She chaired the Bulgarian Women's Union from 1926 to 1944. Biography Ivanov ...

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* {{Suffrage Feminist organizations in Bulgaria 1944 disestablishments in Bulgaria Voter rights and suffrage organizations Women's suffrage in Bulgaria