Ženské tělo a sexualita v levicových diskuzích o legalizaci interrupcí v meziválečném Československu

• Authors: Vivian Šefrna

Title variants

EN

The female body and sexuality in left-wing discussions on the legalization of abortion in interwar Czechoslovakia

• Languages of publication: CS

Abstracts

EN

The study deals with the issue of the conceptualisation of the female body in left-wing discourses during the First Czechoslovak Republic. It analyses several period pamphlets by female authors and one male author, issued by publishing houses associated with left-wing political parties. The study shows that female authors openly addressed current problems that were the result of the unequal position of women and men at the time, and even proposed solutions, such as women’s economic independence from men; at the same time, however, they also reproduced traditional discourses of women’s inadequacy compared to men in terms of intellectual ability and ability to act in public affairs. Women’s “emancipation” was thus directed back to the private sphere and the area of reproduction. Furthermore, the study shows an interesting contrast in the male author’s and female author’s views on “reformed” sexuality.

Keywords

EN

female body; abortion; sexuality; First Czechoslovak Republic; communism; women’s emancipation

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Institute of History, Czech Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Český časopis historický (The Czech Historical Review)
• Year: 2025
• Volume: 123
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 207-229
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Vivian Šefrna

• Historický ústav AV ČR, v. v. i., Prosecká 809/76, 190 00 Praha 9, Czech Republic