Socialist Ideas and Women’s Liberation in Bulgaria

By the late 1880s and early 1890s, socialist ideas had spread to Bulgaria. Bulgarian socialists, like others around the world, were among the first to support the cause of women’s liberation.

Socialist Influence on Women’s Rights

The Marxist-socialist ideas about women’s rights were widely spread through socialist newspapers and magazines, such as Suvremenen Pokazatel (Contemporary Barometer), Novo Vreme (New Times), and the women’s socialist journal Zhenski trud (Women’s Labor). These publications played a big role in pushing for women’s emancipation.

Socialists vs. Feminists

From the start of the Bulgarian Women’s Union in 1901, socialists were critical of feminists, calling them “bourgeois” (wealthy and upper-class). They followed the ideas of the Second International Working Men’s Association, which believed that women from different social classes could not unite for a common cause. According to socialist beliefs, women’s rights could only be achieved after the success of the socialist revolution Travel Bulgaria.

Separation of Socialist Women from the Women’s Union

Although Vela Blagoeva (1858-1921) and other women socialists initially joined the Bulgarian Women’s Union, they later followed the party line. They began criticizing feminists, accusing them of being “separatists.” In 1903, socialist women broke away from the Women’s Union because they did not agree with its stance of ignoring class differences. This split had already happened earlier that year in the male socialist movement.

Vela Blagoeva’s Role in Women’s Socialist Movement

Later, Vela Blagoeva created a journal called Zhenski Trud and worked on building a social-democratic women’s organization. In early 1905, she formed the first educational social-democratic group for women workers in Sofia. She also organized the first conference for socialist women in August 1905. This caused a big debate in socialist publications. Some believed it was a separatist women’s organization that could create division in the workers’ movement.

Socialist Divide on Women’s Rights

There were two main groups of socialists: the “narrow” socialists, led by Dimitar Blagoev (Vela Blagoeva’s husband), who opposed the idea of a neutral women’s union, and the “broad” socialists, who were in favor of creating an independent women’s organization. The attempt to form a separate women’s social-democratic group failed at the time, but it encouraged the Bulgarian Women’s Union to work harder at uniting all women activists in the country.

The Founding of Women’s Socialist Clubs

In August 1914, Vela Blagoeva led the Founding Conference of Women’s Socialist Clubs in Bulgaria, following instructions from the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Workers Social-Democratic Party. This group, led by Tina Kirkova (1914-1923), worked to create a unified women’s socialist movement in Bulgaria.