| Sophie Adlersparre | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 July 1823 Helgerum in Västrum in Kalmar County, Sweden |
| Died | 27 June 1895 |
| Other names | Sophie Leijonhufvud, Esselde |
| Occupation | feminist, publisher, editor and writer |
| Known for | Feminist. |
| Spouse | Axel Adlersparre |
| Notes
Founded Fredrika Bremer-Förbundet the first real Swedish women's movement organisation (1884).
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Carin Sophie Adlersparre née Leijonhufvud (Helgerum in Västrum in Kalmar County, Sweden, 6 July 1823 - 27 June 1895), was a Swedish feminist, publisher, editor, writer and friherinna (baroness). She is considered as one of the three greatest pioneers and founders of the 19th century women's rights mowement in Sweden, alongside Fredrika Bremer and Rosalie Roos.
Adlersparre lived an isolated and protected life until she became interested in feminist questions inspired by Rosalie Roos, a woman highly intererested in social matters, who had returned after years of travels in 1855. Adlersparre began her career as a feminist by founding the paper "Tidskrift för hemmet" (English: "A paper for the home") in companionship with Rosalie Roos by financial support of Fredrika Limnell in 1859. This was a cultural paper in which she argued for women's rights, specifically the access to higher education and more professions. The paper ran until 1885, for 26 years, and Adlersparre became the sole director in 1868. She wrote under her professional pseudonym Esselde.
Adlersparre actively worked to raise the level of women's education by establishing libraries and evening schools for adult women. In 1862, she organized evening classes for women; in 1863, she founded employment agency's for women, and in 1866, she founded a free library for women "for a continuating self-education and for a bigger and wider outlook upon life".
In 1869, she married the noble Axel Adlersparre (1812–1879), brother of the famous painter Sofia Adlersparre (1808–1862). The life of the deceased sister of her spouse also had an impact on her feminist ideas: her husband's dead sister Sofia Adlersparre had been a highly appreciated artist, but she had not been able to study at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts as women where generally only accepted as students with special permission. Sophie Adlersparre sent a demand to the Swedish parliament in 1862 that women should be accepted by law to study art on equal terms (without having to apply for a special permission): this suggestion was debated in the parliament and accepted, which led to a reform in 1864.
In 1864, she took part in the founding of the Swedish Red Cross (1865) with Rosalie Roos, General Major Rudebeck, and Dr. Lemchen. Sophie Adlersparre founded Fredrika-Bremer-förbundet (The Frederika Bremer Society), which is referred to as the first real Swedish women's movement organisation, in 1884. It was named after her feminist predecessor Fredrika Bremer.
Adlersparre became one of the most well known feminist agitators through her career as a journalist. The right to vote was, however, never her primary goal: she focused more on other aspects of gender equality, especially the access to academic education and the access to more profession for women. During her period as an active feminist and social reformer, many of the most important reforms regarding gender equality were made in Sweden: in 1858 (obligatory in 1863), unmarried women obtained legal majority as adults; in 1862, women won the right to vote in local elections; in 1863, several official profession of state, such as school officials and post officials were opened to women; in 1870-73, universities were open to both sexes, and in 1874, girl's schools (of which the first was founded in 1786) were given stately support, which filled the gap between elementary education and the university, and the same year, married women where given control of their own economy.
Adlersparre was also a noblewoman, and many of her efforts were inspired by the new ambitions of the middle and the upper-class women, who during this period began to long for a professional life. Her women's union soon eventually came to be regarded as the feminist union of the upper-class.