Activities of the all-Russian Union for women’s equality (1905-1907)

The paper deals with the issue of the political activity of Russian society at the beginning of the 20th century. An important direction of this process was the strengthening of the women’s movement, which sought to expand civil and political rights. The position of the opposition parties is shown: the Cadets, Social Democrats, Socialist-Revolutionaries, Trudoviks, people’s socialists who advocated women’s suffrage. In the years of the first Russian revolution, new public organizations appeared where the All-Russian Union of Women’s Equality took a prominent place. The story of the foundation of the union is told. The main forms of the union’s work in the struggle for women’s right to vote are shown: participation in rallies and meetings, preparation of petitions and leaflets, agitation and propaganda work, collection of instructions among peasant women. Particular attention is paid to the agitation work of the members of the Union. The statistics of the signatures collected under the punishments in the State Duma with the demand of women’s suffrage for certain regions of Russia are shown. The contacts of the All-Russian Union of Women’s Equality with the Duma Opposition, especially with the fraction of the socialist parties and constitutional democrats, are highlighted, their close interaction is shown. Specific deputies of the State Duma most actively cooperating with the All-Russian Union of Women’s Equality are indicated.