The Nationalist Women's Organization

Bulgarian Women’s Union “Love for the Motherland”

The Bulgarian Women’s Union “Love for the Motherland” was another women’s organization in Bulgaria, though it didn’t play a major role in the history of the women’s movement. Its name caused some complications in the international relations of the Bulgarian women’s movement during the inter-war period. This organization was right-wing and was created in 1926 by a small group of women as part of a men’s organization called Rodna Zashtita (National Defense). This men’s group was described as a patriotic organization focused on national preservation Bulgaria Holidays.

Goals of the Organization

The Bulgarian Women’s Union “Love for the Motherland” outlined its goals as follows:

Uplifting the Bulgarian spirit and pride.

Encouraging religious feelings.

Shaping Bulgarian women into patriots who love everything native and oppose harmful foreign influences.

Shaping Bulgarian women to be loving mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters who sincerely love everything Bulgarian.

Conflict with the Bulgarian Women’s Union

This ultra-nationalist group launched a campaign against the leader of the Bulgarian Women’s Union (BWU), Julia Malinova, claiming that because she was Jewish, she should not lead the country’s biggest national women’s organization. In order to protect the BWU, Malinova resigned. The old Bulgarian Women’s Union, founded in 1901, protested that this new organization had stolen its name, but their protests were unsuccessful. The nationalist group only agreed to change its name to Bulgarian Women’s Union “Love for the Motherland”.

Decline of the Organization

According to Dimitrana Ivanova’s memoirs, the “Love for the Motherland” Union attracted some members from the older Bulgarian Women’s Union during the 1930s. However, by the early 1940s, the organization had shrunk to just ten local branches.