Women's Suffrage in Germany: From Proclamation to Electoral Law
Women's suffrage was introduced in the last weeks of 1918, shortly after the end of the Empire. A proclamation alone, however, was not enough.
Was the announcement enough for women to go to the polls? No, a legal act was still needed. This text explains what the proclamation and the electoral law said and how the election to the National Assembly unfolded, in which women could vote and stand as candidates for the first time.
The Proclamation of November 12, 1918
On November 12, 1918, the Council of the People's Deputies announced in its proclamation "To the German People" elections under equal, secret, direct and universal suffrage. All German men and women who had turned 20 by election day were to be eligible to vote. It was an important political signal, but the proclamation only set out principles and gave a direction.
The demand came from the women's movement, which called for equal political rights. Germany was no pioneer in Europe in this respect: Finland had already introduced women's suffrage in 1906, the first European country to do so. For activists, this showed that such a change was possible. The campaign for women's suffrage in Germany therefore also built on the practice of other countries.
The Reich Electoral Law of November 30, 1918
The difference between an announcement and a law is decisive. Only the Reich Electoral Law of November 30, 1918, put the announced principles into force. On that basis women could not only vote but also be elected. The proclamation was a statement, and the law gave it legal force.
That gave the women's movement an effective instrument. From then on, election results rather than appeals alone would decide the role of women in politics.
The National Assembly in 1919
The election to the National Assembly took place on January 19, 1919, under the new rules of the law of November 30, 1918. Women voted and ran for office on equal terms with men. Women's turnout was around 82 percent, which means the large majority of eligible women used their new right.
Of the 423 deputies who entered the National Assembly, 37 were women, just under 10 percent. Measured against the number of women voters, that was a modest result. At the same time, it marked the start of women's participation in the German parliament.
What Follows from This?
Women's suffrage resulted from the work of the women's movement and from political decisions made within a few weeks. The proclamation of November 12 set the direction, the law of November 30 created the legal basis, and the election of January 19, 1919, showed that women were ready to use their new right. Another article on this service describes how equal rights developed after 1949.