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Introduction: Women’s Labour Activism in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe

The activism of women from Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe has long existed in the shadows of mainstream historical narratives.

Legacies of Women Labour Activists

It is difficult, if not outright impossible, to fully appreciate the legacies of women labour activists in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe and beyond.

An Enduring Demand: The Struggle for Equal Pay

The fight for equal pay, also known as the demand for “equal pay for equal work”, has been a central issue in labour movements for over a century.

A Tool for Building a Fairer World? Women’s Co-operatives

In the first half of the twentieth century, a lively and diverse co-operative movement emerged internationally, and women from Central and Eastern Europe played a prominent role in it.

On the Move: Migrant Labour Activists

Women continuously migrated both short distances as seasonal workers but also crossing state borders and oceans to build their lives in new countries. Their backgrounds and experiences of migration shaped their labour activism.

Addressing Working Mothers

Integrating, supporting, and enabling mothers of young children to stay in paid employment has been one of the central issues surrounding women’s wage work.

Unpaid Labour: A Cornerstone Issue

Women have disproportionately performed unpaid labour, such as domestic work and caregiving, which limited their life opportunities.

Education: A Key to Elevating Women in the World of Work?

Education has been a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of women’s labour activism. Limited access to education and gendered ideas about education continue to be a key component of gender inequalities.

Women Labour Activists Internationally

Fully appreciating the role of women from Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe in labour activism at the international level is an ongoing challenge.

Finding Women Activists in the Sources: Challenges and Strategies

Researching women labour activists from Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe can feel like piecing together a puzzle with many missing parts

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Women’s Labour Activism
in Eastern Europe and Transnationally,
From the Age of Empires
to the Late 20th Century

This research project, led by Susan Zimmermann at Central European University (Vienna, Austria), has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 833691 – ZARAH).