Lilly Engström (1843–1921) was a Swedish women's rights activist and
civil servant
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...
. In 1890, she became the first female member of a
Board of education
A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution.
The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...
in Sweden, after a reform the year prior, in which women were allowed to serve on governmental boards.
Life
Engström graduated from 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 1864 and was a teacher at the
Statens normalskola för flickor in 1864–1907. She was a member of the board of the
Fredrika-Bremer-Förbundet
The Fredrika Bremer Association (, abbreviated FBF) is the oldest women's rights organisation in Sweden. The association stands for an inclusive, intersectional and progressive liberal feminism, and advocates for women's rights and LGBT rights.
...
in 1884–1920, of the
Svenska lärarinnors pensionsförening (Retirement fund for female teachers) in 1873–1920, engaged in the
women's suffrage
Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...
movement and is regarded as a pioneer of the ''Pedagogiska sällskapet'' (Pedagogic Society). Engström was a 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 was one of its first committee members.
In 1889, a law reform allowed for women to become civil servants, and the following year, Engström became the first female civil servant in Sweden when she became a member of the state school education board of the
Hedvig Eleonora Parish
Hedvig Eleonora Parish () is a parish in Östermalm's church district (''kontrakt'') in the Diocese of Stockholm, Sweden. The parish is located in Stockholm Municipality in Stockholm County. The parish forms its own pastorship.
History
The paris ...
in Stockholm.
References
* Engström, Karolina Augusta (Lilly) i Nordisk familjebok (andra upplagans supplement, 1923)
* Engström, släkter, urn:sbl:16166, Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (art av BENGT HILDEBRAND.), hämtad 2015-05-04.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Engstrom, Lilly
1843 births
1921 deaths
Swedish women's rights activists
19th-century Swedish civil servants
19th-century women civil servants
Swedish women civil servants
19th-century Swedish women politicians
19th-century Swedish politicians
Members of Nya Idun
20th-century Swedish civil servants
Women's firsts