Swedish Society for Woman Suffrage

The Swedish Society for Woman Suffrage (Swedish: Landsföreningen för kvinnans politiska rösträtt), or LKPR, was a part of the general Suffrage movement and the national society for woman suffrage in Sweden. It was developed from Sveriges allmänna rösträttsförbund (SARF), the Suffrage Movement of Sweden, which was active mainly in acquiring full suffrage for males. The LKPR was a part of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance. It was active from 1903 until 1921.

History

The society was chaired by Lydia Wahlström (conservative), Signe Bergman (social democrat), the teacher Anna Whitlock and Ann-Margret Holmgren (liberal). It was supported by women with both left- and right-wing political sympathies.

The first vote about woman suffrage in the Swedish parliament had taken place in 1884 and was voted down with 53 votes against 44. The Swedish suffrage movement mainly used the methods of education, information, advertisement and pins; meetings, conferences and plays. Several famous women participated with their support. Selma Lagerlöf was an important speaker, because of the general respect she was given in all parts of society, while Ellen Key was frequently ridiculed in the press. Elin Wägner was from 1909 one of the most active supporters; she participated in plays in the parts of Jenny Lind and Fredrika Bremer, and her novel Pennskaftet (novel) (1910), which spoke for love withouth marriage, became a controversial success in all society and referred to as the bible of the Swedish suffrage movement. The participants was often ridiculed in the press and referred to as homosexuals. Only one street demonstration was ever organised by the society: in Gothenburg, the participants marched with three banners representing people withouth the right to vote. The first banner showed a male criminal in prison, the second a male patient in a mental hospital, ad the third banner the respected author Selma Lagerlöf. Frigga Carlberg also invited Sylvia Pankhurst as speaker. The international conference of women suffrage in Stockholm in 1911 has been called the greatest success of the LKPRP. The society published its own paper: "Rösträtt för kvinnor" (Women Suffrage) in 1912-1919. In 1917, there was finally a majority for female suffrage in the parliament; woman suffrage was granted in 1919, and put in effect by the election of 1921.

Chairman

Sources