Women Rights of Vote and Election in Europe

The struggle for the right to vote, which started in the first half of the 1600s, gradually began to take place essentially in the 19th century. Let’s take a chronological look at women’s rights to choose and elect by the countries.

Historical photo shows people learning to vote, with Roosevelt and Lehman campaign posters in the background.

1900’s

Finland (1906)

In 1906, Finland became the first European country to grant women’s citizens the right to vote. In those years, Finland, which was a tributary due to the great tribulation of Russia, also carries the title of the country where the first female parliamentarians in the world. Furthermore, 19 women deputies began to enter the parliament in 1907.

1910’s

Norway (1913)

Norway became the first European country to follow Finland in 1913.

Denmark (1915)

Iceland and Denmark gave women the right to vote in 1915. Furthermore, it was possible in Denmark for the first time that a woman in the world took part in a parliament in 1924.

Iceland (1915)

n 1915, Iceland, which was affiliated to Denmark at the time, was granted the right to vote for women.

Estonia (1918)

In 1918, Estonian women won the right to vote. Kersti Kaljulaid, who was elected president in 2016, is the first female president of Estonia.

Hungary (1918)

Women in Hungary obtained limited voting rights in 1918. In 1945, they got the rights completely.

Latvia (1918)

Latvia is one of the first 15 countries to give women the right to vote.

Poland (1918)

Before 1795, only nobility (men) were allowed to participate in political life. According to the universal voting decree signed by Jozef Pilsudski in 1918, women were given the right to vote on 26 January 1919. Furthermore, the voting age for men and women is 21 years.

Russia (1918)

In Russia in 1917 women were entitled to be elected and to vote. Furthermore, this right was used for the first time in the 1918 general elections.

Austria (1918)

On November 12, 1918, Austrian women were given the right to vote.

Germany (1918)

30 November 1918, the right of women to be elected and to vote in Germany was guaranteed by law, and for the first time in 19 January 1919 elections, women voted.

Ireland (1918)

The women of Ireland, together with the women of England, obtained the vote in 1918.

United Kingdom (1918)

Full voting rights were granted in 1928 for women in the United Kingdom, who were over 30 years old in 1918 and had the right to vote in special circumstances. Furthermore, the first female prime minister in European nations became Margaret Thatcher in 1979.

Lithuania (1919)

Lithuania, one of the most important countries in Europe, is one of the countries that gives women the first vote. It is also the only country in Europe that regularly owns more women than men in the workforce.

Belarus (1919)

Belarusian women, in 1919, obtained the right to vote.

Ukraine (1919)

In Ukraine, women had both the right to vote in 1919. Furthermore, Ukrainian women entered parliament for the first time in 1990.

Luxembourg (1919)

The small country of Europe, Luxembourg, gave women the right to vote in 1919.

Netherlands (1919)

A century ago, in 1917 women in the Netherlands were given passive votes. This meant that women could be elected to politics, but they were not allowed to vote. Only in 1919 women were given an active vote.

Sweden (1919)

The women of Sweden, who had the right to vote in 1919, entered the parliament in 1921.

1920’s

Albania (1920)

Czech Republic (1920)

Slovakia (1920)

Romania (1929)

1930’s

Turkey (1930)

In Turkey, women won the right to vote in municipal elections on 20 March 1930’s. Furthermore, the right to be elected in the elections of the deputies was reconciled with the constitutional amendment made on 5 December 1934. On February 8, 1935, Turkish women who participated in the parliamentary elections for the first time obtained 18 seats in the parliament.

Spain (1931)

Portugal (1931)

1940’s

France (1944)

With the amendment of the law on 4 October 1944 in France, women had the right to vote. Furthermore, women who participated in municipal elections for the first time on April 29, 1945 voted for the first time in parliamentary elections on 21 October 1945.

Belgium (1944)

Bulgaria (1944)

Croatia (1945)

Slovenia (1945)