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Anna Whitlock (13June 185216June 1930) was a Swedish reform pedagogue,
journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
,
suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...
and
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
. She was co-founder and twice chairperson of the National Association for Women's Suffrage. She was also the co-founder of the women's
cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...
food association Kvinnornas Andelsförening Svenska Hem.


Early life

Anna Whitlock was the daughter of the merchant Gustaf Whitlock and Sophie Forsgrén, and the sister of the feminist and author (1848–1936). When her father, a moderately well off businessman, was ruined, the family was supported by her mother, who was many years younger than her father, and who educated herself as a photographer and worked as a translator to support the family. It is said that Whitlock was given her interest in women's issues from her mother. After an inheritance, Sophie Whitlock engaged in building, had apartment buildings set up for female professionals, and also worked as a secretary for the women's organization Fredrika Bremer Association. Whitlock studied at the Rossander Course. She worked as a teacher at the Adolf Fredriks folkskola in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
in 1869–1870 and as a governess in Finland in 1870–1872 before enlisting as a student at the
Högre lärarinneseminariet The Royal Seminary, fully the Royal Advanced Female Teachers' Seminary (, abbreviated KHLS), was a normal school (teachers' college) in Stockholm, Sweden. It was active from 1861 until 1943. It was the first public institution of higher acade ...
in Stockholm, from which she graduated in 1875. Between 1876 and 1878, she studied language and pedagogy in Switzerland, Italy, and France. During her study in France, she was the correspondent of ''
Aftonbladet (, lit. "The evening paper") is a Swedish language, Swedish daily tabloid newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. It is one of the largest daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. History and profile The newspaper was founded by Lar ...
'' in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
.


Educational reformer

In 1878, she founded a school in Stockholm with
Ellen Key Ellen Karolina Sofia Key (; 11 December 1849 – 25 April 1926) was a Swedes, Swedish difference feminist writer on many subjects in the fields of family life, ethics and education and was an important figure in the Modern Breakthrough movement. S ...
, known later as the ''Stockholms nya samskola'' (New Co-educational School of Stockholm) and later still as '' Whitlockska samskolan'' (Whitlock Co-educational School), and served as its principal from its foundation to 1918. This was a pioneer institution. The school was made
co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
in 1893, which was very progressive. Normally only primary schools for children were co-educational in Sweden at the time. It soon became one of the first schools over primary educational level to be co-educational in Sweden. She also introduced innovations such as
student council A student council (also known as a student union, associated student body or student parliament) is an administrative organization of students in different educational institutes ranging from elementary schools to universities and research or ...
s, parent days, free choice of subject, voluntary education in religion, and vacation colonies for school children. Because of the strict religious tolerance of her school, it became popular among non-Lutherans such as Jews. Her school was successful, was granted government support, and the right to issue
professional degree A professional degree, formerly known in the US as a first professional degree, is a degree that prepares someone to work in a particular profession, practice, or industry sector often meeting the academic requirements for licensure or accreditatio ...
s.


Social reformer and suffragist

Described as a liberal and forward- thinking character with modern progressive views, Whitlock was also active in politics, public debate and reform. She was a member of the board in the ''Föreningen för religionsfrihet'' (Freedom for Religious Liberty) for several years in the 1880s. She expressed her liberal views regarding religion as a speaker, and published a work on this issue: ''Skolans ställning till religionsundervisningen i Sverige och andra länder'' (The Position of the School regarding the teaching of Religion in Sweden and other nations). At that time, religious education in school normally consisted of educating students in their own religion (i.e., that of the state) and nothing else. Whitlock opposed this and made the subject voluntary in her school. She was active as a speaker on geography at the ''Stockholms arbetarinstitut'' (Stockholm Workers' Institute) from 1882 to 1897. She was also a member of the board of the ''Frisinnade kvinnor'' (now ''Svenska Kvinnors Vänsterförbund'') from 1914 to 1923. Whitlock was an early member of the women's association
Nya Idun ('New Idun') is a Swedish cultural association for women founded in 1885, originally as a female counterpart to ('the Idun Society'). Its aim was to "gather educated women in the Stockholm area for informal gatherings". Activity was founded ...
, founded in 1885, and one of its first committee members. Whitlock was one of the leading pioneers of the women's suffrage movement in Sweden. She was one of the co-founders of the National Association for Women's Suffrage. In 1902, two motions regarding women suffrage reform were presented to the Swedish Parliament. One was from the Minister of Justice Hjalmar Hammarskjöld, who suggested that married men be given two votes, as they could be regarded to vote in place of their wives as well. The other motion was presented by
Carl Lindhagen Carl Albert Lindhagen (17 December 1860 – 11 March 1946) was a Swedish lawyer, politician, and pacifist. Carl Lindhagen was the chief magistrate (''borgmästare'') of Stockholm 1903–1930 (i.e. a legal position, not mayor). Life Lindhagen ...
, who suggested women's suffrage. The Hammarskjöld suggestion aroused anger among women's rights activists, who formed a support group for the Lindhagen motion. On 4 June 1902, National Association for Women's Suffrage (''Föreningen för Kvinnans Politiska Rösträtt'') or FKPR was founded: initially a local Stockholm society, it became a national organization the following year. She was a member of the board and served as chairperson twice: from 1903 to 1907, and from 1911 to 1912. She wrote the first public appeal to the women of Sweden to form a suffrage movement in the press, and she organized the rules of the association. She had a very good relationship with her vice chairperson, Signe Bergman, and was respected for her ability to maintain the political neutrality of the association, even though she was personally a liberal. In 1911, when the suffrage movement was forced to take a political stand against the Conservatives who were by then the only party to oppose women's suffrage, the conservative
Lydia Wahlström Lydia Katarina Wahlström (28 June 1869 – 2 June 1954) was a Swedish historian, author and feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, ...
stepped down as chairperson. Whitlock was then elected for her second term as chairperson because of her respected ability to remain neutral. In 1905, she co-founded Kvinnornas Andelsförening Svenska Hem with Ina Almén, a
cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...
association which attempted to ensure better food quality. This association still exists today.


Award

Whitlock was awarded the Swedish royal medal '' Illis quorum meruere labores'' (commonly called ''Illis Quorum'') by King Gustaf V of Sweden in 1918.


Legacy

The Anna Whitlock Memorial Fund (''Anna Whitlocks Minnesfond'') was founded after her school was discontinued in 1976, and still grants scholarships to students. In 2018, a public high school was founded in Stockholm, Sweden, and named after her.


In popular culture

The main character of the 2013 TV-series '' Fröken Frimans krig'' ("''Miss Frimans war''"), Dagmar Friman (portrayed by Sissela Kyle), was based on Anna Whitlock.


References


Sources

* Barbro Hedvall (2011). Susanna Eriksson Lundqvist. red. Vår rättmätiga plats. Om kvinnornas kamp för rösträtt. Förlag Bonnier.
Svenska Dagbladets Årsbok / Åttonde årgången (händelserna 1930)






* Anders Johnson: De gjorde skillnad – Liberala kvinnor från Anna Maria Lenngren till Marit Paulsen, 2009


Further reading

*


External links


Anna Whitlocks Minnesfond website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitlock, Anna 1852 births 1930 deaths Swedish women's rights activists Swedish suffragists 19th-century Swedish businesspeople Members of Nya Idun Recipients of the Illis quorum 19th-century Swedish businesswomen 20th-century Swedish businesswomen 20th-century Swedish businesspeople Activists from Stockholm