Democratisation of Denmark: The Inclusion of Women in Political Citizenship

Abstract

IntroductionIn Denmark, women gained the suffrage relatively early and undramatically in 1915, when a constitutional reform granted suffrage rights to all men and women over the age of 29. The first democratic Danish Constitution of 1849 had granted the vote to men above the age of 30 who had their own household, had lived in the constituency for at least one year, paid back or been released debt or could dispose of their own estate. "Women, poor people, criminals and fools" [fruentimmer, fattiglemmer, forbrydere og fjolser] were excluded. As a result, 14-15 % of the population could vote (Elklit et al. 2005:21).

Valgretsdebattens vitale stemmer - Et offentlighedsperspektiv

“…Det haenger ligeledes sammen med, at der i et offentlighedsperspektiv på valgretten til kvinder kan spores interessante demokratiske potentialer. Artiklens forskningsspørgsmål rammer noget centralt i tidsperioden, hvor kampen om en demokratisering af Danmark i form af universel stemmeret til maend og kvinder var et centralt samfundsanliggende (Fiig & Siim 2012).…”

“…Tidens liberalisme, født af den franske 1789-revolution og af Mills skrifter, dannede et radikalt baggrundstaeppe for ideer om individuel frihed og demokratiske principper. Dette gjaldt ligeledes staerke konservative kraefter i samfundet, som forholdt sig afventende til valgretsspørgsmålet også i denne sidste fase af valgretskampen (Fiig & Siim 2012). Stemmeretskampen indgik i den højspaendte politiske kamp mellem højre og venstre om det parlamentariske demokrati (Korsgaard 2004).…”

“…En central del af Kvindevalgrets indlaeg beskaeftiger sig på linje med tidens liberale strømninger med spørgsmålet om kvinders interesse for og modenhed i forhold til politik. I begyndelsen af Landsforbundets eksistens skriver denne del af debatten sig op imod de konservative stemmer, som ikke betragtede kvinder son kvalificerede til at indgå i politik -og som ikke ønskede valgretten udvidet til alle maend (Fiig & Siim 2012).…”

Dilemmas in the Danish Approach to Gender Equality: Gender Equality without Gender Quota

“…The Danish tradition for mobilizing social actors from below dates back to at the beginning of the 20 th century. Alliances between social movements and social partners and women were important for the adoption of women's right to vote and for equal pay, and social reform movements were also crucial for the Danish tradition for extended public responsibilities for childcare (Fiig and Siim 2012). Danish democracy and political culture have been characterized by a combination of a preference for civil society solutions with a strong individualism in family and social policies (Borchorst and Siim 2008).…”

“…Other studies have pointed to the differences in the countries' democratic traditions and political cultures as an explanation for the resistance to gender quotas adopted 'from above' and emphasize the key role of Danish voluntary civil society organizations in the struggle for equal rights (Christensen and Siim 2002). Research suggests that the bottom-up Danish model based on mobilization of social movements and respect for the independence of the social dialogue can be a strength as well as a weakness (Fiig and Siim 2012). It has proven to be an advantage when there is a strong mobilization of the women's movement and of social actors within and across the political parties pushing for gender equality policies as was the case in the 1970s and 1980s.…”