Acta Historica Universitatis Klaipedensis

The article is devoted to the new research results on the historical 19th–20th C. women movement in the North-West European countries, actually in Polish and Lithuanian women activities and aspirations. In the Great Poland that belonged to Germany women joined the national movement. First women associations that were involved in charitable work were created in the middle of 19th century. Polish social democrat professional unions were created in the 8th decade of 19 century: women confederation created in 1894 in Poznan rose up the question of women’s political rights. In 1896 the new Lithuanian Social democrat party (LSDP) included equal political rights of both sexes into its program. In 1903 Lithuanian Democrat party (LDP) had a congress where women’s political rights were declared. About 3 % of all new party members were women