Gothenburg Women's Association ( sv, Göteborgs Kvinnoförening) was the first women's organisation active in Gothenburg, Sweden's second largest city. It was active from 1884 to 1891. It published the radical magazine '' Framåt'' (Forward). Göteborgs Kvinnoförening was founded 30 October 1884 by a group of liberal upper-class women in Gothenburg under the leadership of Mathilda Hedlund (chairperson 1884–88), the daughter of the radical liberal publicist Sven Adolf Hedlund, and had 89 members during its first year. It was founded as a local answer to

Fredrika Bremer Association The Fredrika Bremer Association ( sv, Fredrika Bremer Förbundet, abbreviated FBF) is the oldest women's rights organisation in Sweden. The association stands for an inclusive, intersectional and progressive liberal feminism, and advocates for wome ...

, which was founded in Stockholm the same year. Its purpose was to work for reforms in women's rights and the position of women in society through information and debate. The association organized a library for women; educational lectures for poor women; an employment agency for women; offered meals to poor women; arranged for vacation trips for school children; offered meals for poor children; organized a pension fund which paid for sick leave for women; organized the charity secondhand store chain ''Myrorna''; and founded a society for women's gymnastics. It debated important issues for women such as the dress reform, and organized protests against the regulated prostitution in line with the ''

Svenska Federationen Svenska Federationen (Swedish Federation), was the Swedish branch of the British Ladies National Association for the Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts. It was established in 1878 with the purpose to repeal the so-called reglementation system, w ...

''. In 1886, the association published the radical women's magazine '' Framåt'', with Alma Åkermark as editor and

Eva Brag Eva Brag (1829–1913) was a Swedish journalist, writer and poet. She was born to Jonas Brag, professor at the Lund University. She was given a high education at home and studied Latin, French and English and visited Great Britain and France. Sh ...

among its contributors. Later that same year, however, Åkermark participated in the '' Sedlighetsdebatten'' by publishing articles of sexual liberation for women, such as the novel ''Pyrrhussegrar'' by Stella Kleve. This caused a scandal, and though Åkermark were supported by some of the members, such as the chairperson Mathilda Hedlund, the members voted to withdraw their support to the paper in November with a marginal of nine votes – Åkermark managed to publish the paper for three more years, however. The chairperson, Mathilda Hedlund, left Sweden for Denmark after her marriage in 1888, and Göteborgs Kvinnoförening was dissolved in 1891. Many of the activities founded by it continued, however, and in 1903, it was succeeded by the local Gothenburg branch of the National Association for Women's Suffrage, founded and chaired by

Frigga Carlberg Frigga Carlberg, née Anna Fredrika Lundgren (10 August 1851 – 3 October 1925), was a Swedish writer, social worker, feminist and advocate for women's suffrage. She was a member of the central committee of the National Association for Women's ...

, previously a leading member of the Göteborgs Kvinnoförening.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goteborgs Kvinnoforening 1884 in Sweden Feminist organizations in Sweden 1884 establishments in Sweden 19th century in Gothenburg Voter rights and suffrage organizations 1884 in women's history Women's suffrage in Sweden First-wave feminism in Sweden