Julia Malinova, née Jakovlevna Scheider (Bulgarian: Юлия Малинова (Яковлевна Шнайдер)) (1869-1953), was a Bulgarian suffragist and women's rights activist. She was co-founder of the Bulgarian Women's Union, and served as its chairperson twice: in 1908-1910, and from 1912 to 1926.[1]

Julia Malinova
Born
Jakovlevna Scheider

1869 (1869)
Died1953 (aged 83–84)
NationalityBulgarian
OccupationWomen's rights activist
Known forco-founder of the Bulgarian Women's Union
SpouseAlexander Malinov

Life

edit

Malinova was born in 1869, a Russian Jew, educated in France and Switzerland before moving to Bulgaria upon her conversion and marriage to lawyer Alexander Malinov, later prime minister of Bulgaria.

From 1899, she edited the paper Zhenski glas ("Female voice") with the teacher, socialist and writer Anna Karima, spouse of the socialist Yanko Sakazov, and in 1901, they co-founded the Bulgarian Women's Union with Karima as its first chairperson. The organization was an umbrella organization of the 27 local women's organisations that had been established in Bulgaria since 1878. It was founded as a reply to the limitations of women's education and access to university studies in the 1890s, with the goal to further women's intellectual development and participation, arranged national congresses and used Zhenski glas as its organ.[2]

In 1908, she succeeded as chairperson, and made the Bulgarian Women's Union part of the International Council of Women. During her tenure, she secured the policy of the union as a society for all classes and political convictions, and organized wives of soldiers during the war.[2]

In 1925, she was attacked by Bulgarian nationalist women for her foreign origin. She retired as chairperson in 1926 and was succeeded by Dimitrana Ivanova. Malinova died in 1953[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ Ruiz, Blanca Rodriguez; Rubio-Marín, Ruth (2012). The Struggle for Female Suffrage in Europe: Voting to Become Citizens. BRILL. p. 325. ISBN 9789004224254.
  2. ^ a b c Haan, Francisca de; Daskalova, Krasimira; Loutfi, Anna (2006). Biographical Dictionary of Women's Movements and Feminisms in Central, Eastern, and South Eastern Europe: 19th and 20th Centuries. Central European University Press. pp. 293–294. ISBN 9789637326394.