Gabriela Pošteková is a PhD student in History at Comenius University in Bratislava. In 2024, she was awarded a scholarship from the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic, which allowed her to begin her research at The Women’s Library at LSE. Her research focuses on Catholic feminism in Czechoslovakia during the first half of the 20th century, exploring how Catholic feminist movements navigated political and social challenges. Her work is deeply rooted in the history of feminism, women’s intellectual history, and political thought. Here she picks five press cuttings from The Women’s Library archives to demonstrate the changing themes of Catholic feminism.
I decided to spend part of my third year as a PhD student at The Women’s Library, as my research focuses on the history of Catholic feminism. The Women’s Library at LSE provided an ideal environment for my work, offering access to a diverse range of collections on Catholic women’s history. Among these, particularly relevant to my research were the Records of the St. Joan’s International Alliance the Records of the International Alliance of Women and the Alice Abadan (1856-1940) collection. These archives proved to be an excellent fit for my studies, offering invaluable resources that significantly enriched my understanding of the subject. The opportunity to explore these collections has been instrumental in advancing my research on Catholic feminist movements.
Five press cuttings to show changing themes in Catholic feminist history
The Records of the St Joan’s International Alliance collection I reviewed features press cuttings starting from 1911. I examined the collection 2SJA/L/01 – 2SJA/L/22 (spanning from 1911 to 1948), a series of books compiled with press cuttings on various topics that were relevant to the issues faced by women during the specific time periods. Prior to 1928, the volumes were compiled over periods ranging from one to almost two years. Beginning in 1928, each volume represents a single year, continuing up to 1940. The themes covered in the collection varied greatly between 1911 and 1948, reflecting the shifting social, political, and cultural contexts. Common topics included women’s suffrage, women and the labour question, birth control, and the roles of women within the Catholic Church. Over time, additional themes emerged, such as the nationality of married women and the lives of women in different parts of the world.
The press cuttings come from publications like Catholic Times, Catholic Citizen, The Tablet, and many others that were published in English at the time. Interestingly, there are also excerpts from French and German newspapers, offering a broader international perspective. These archival sources serve as a valuable window into the key issues Catholic feminists were grappling with at different points in history. They also provide a unique glimpse into events unfolding in other countries.
Personally, I found it particularly fascinating to explore the perspective of English Catholic feminists on the situation in Czechoslovakia during this period. I discovered press cuttings from English newspapers describing Catholic feminists in Czechoslovakia, as well as articles in Czech from Czechoslovak newspapers depicting Catholic feminists in England.
Here are some of my favourite pieces that I discovered during my time at The Women’s Library.
1 Catholic feminism vs church authority
The first image comes from a scrapbook dating back to 1918 and discusses reactions to the teachings of priests in theological seminaries regarding the subordination of women to men.
During this period, there was a significant divide between the Catholic Church’s stance and its leaders’ views on the feminist movement. The author of the second commentary attempted to turn her critique of the priest and his “traditional teachings” into a sarcastic reinterpretation of his statement as a comedy, something not to be taken seriously.
The reaction to the Bishop of Sebastopolis triggered a chain response, leading to additional comments in subsequent issues of the periodical from outraged women who felt compelled to speak out. Catholic feminists of this era faced the difficult task of defending their views, often against high-ranking Church officials.
While Catholic feminism had the support of some priests from the outset, many others met it with misunderstanding and condemnation.
2 Feminism in the early 20th century: a historical perspective
This article from 1922 reflects the historical perception of feminism in the early 20th century, a time when feminist movements were taking shape in different ways depending on the cultural and social context of each country.
It highlights that feminism was not seen as a single, unified global movement but rather as a collection of diverse currents, each adapted to national mentalities and historical experiences. The author of the article describes how feminism in Spain differed from its English, French, and American counterparts.
For historians, this piece serves as a valuable source, capturing contemporary debates about feminism at a time when the concept was still evolving. It provides insight into how feminism adapted to national traditions and navigated religious and cultural norms, offering a crucial perspective on the complexities of feminist movements in different historical and social contexts.
3 Birth control as a divisive issue in the English feminist movement
Until this point, the feminist movement had largely united around the demand for greater civil rights. However, in the 1920s, religious beliefs—particularly those of Catholic feminists—began to shape internal debates. One of the most contentious issues among English feminists was birth control.
The year 1925 was marked by intense discussions on birth control. A scrapbook from this period is filled with articles on the topic, making it a dominant issue for Catholic feminists. In response, Catholic feminists had to sharply distinguish themselves from secular feminist movements, publicly opposing them for the first time.
Birth control remained a central concern for Catholic feminists well into the 1930s, continuing to be a point of division. It was not until the 1950s that the debate gradually faded from prominence.
4 Feminism and Christian feminism
The article “Feminism and Christian Feminism“ from 1933 highlights the ideological divisions that emerged within the feminist movement and the evolving use of the term feminism itself.
In the early 20th century, Catholic women fought alongside other feminists for suffrage, united by a common goal. However, in the interwar period, the suffrage movement transformed into a broader social and political alliance, addressing wider societal issues. As a result, divisions arose, with Catholic feminists holding different views from their secular counterparts on key topics.
Initially, the term Catholic feminism signified that Catholic women were also engaged in the fight for women’s rights. By the interwar years, however, Christian feminism (or Catholic feminism) had become a means of distinguishing Catholic feminists from the secular movement, which advocated for causes such as birth control and abortion rights.
The author of the article argues that the term feminism increasingly reflected its secular orientation, whereas Christian feminism emphasised an approach aligned with Catholic teachings. This article reflects a broader trend across Europe, where Catholic women’s movements navigated their identity within feminism. Some embraced the term feminist, others preferred Christian feminist, and some chose to avoid the label altogether
5 Challenging norms: a defence of women wearing trousers
For my final selection, I chose an article from 1938 in which the author defended women wearing trousers. The article not only supported this fashion choice but also attempted to predict the future, stating that “future generations will look at old photographs and wonder why women were ever so foolish as to wear such things” (referring to skirts). The author also speculated that in a few years, women would even be able to wear trousers to church. In retrospect, he was not wrong—while skirts are certainly not considered foolish, it has become completely normal for women to wear trousers in everyday life, including in church.
What particularly stood out to me was the author’s remark at the beginning: “Pioneers of any movement must be prepared to put up with insults and sneers.” This statement rings especially true for Catholic women engaged in activism, as they often faced criticism from both sides.
On one hand, liberal feminist movements accused Catholic feminists of upholding patriarchy and not being radical enough. On the other hand, many within the Catholic Church viewed Catholic feminism as too liberal and saw it as a movement that challenged Church doctrine. This constant balancing act made Catholic feminist activism particularly complex and often fraught with opposition.
Highlighting the diversity of feminism
This was my selection of five images from the collection Records of the St Joan’s International Alliance. The article could have been much longer, as this collection offers a vast array of fascinating cuttings from periodicals that provide valuable insight into the issues addressed by Catholic feminists in the first half of the 20th century.
Identifying similarities and differences between Catholic feminist movements in various countries highlights the diversity of feminism itself, as well as the cultural and social factors that influenced each movement. My selection focused on both well-known and lesser-known aspects of the Catholic feminist movement, emphasising its originality and distinctiveness from secular feminist movements during that period.
The Catholic movement, through the St Joan’s International Alliance, pursued feminist activism grounded in human rights defence and inspired by Catholic Church teachings. Although they often had to defend their stance both against the Catholic Church and secular feminist movements, they provided an intellectual resource for Catholic women and represented an alternative to secular feminism for more conservative women.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to conduct research at The Women’s Library. This experience has been both productive and enriching, granting me a deeper insight into the diverse strands of feminist thought throughout history. The materials available in the library provided invaluable insights into the Catholic feminist movement, and I feel privileged to have had access to such a rich collection.
How to use LSE Library archives for your research
LSE archives are open to all. Get in touch with the Library at library.enquiries@lse.ac.uk to find out more about accessing and using The Women’s Library and other archives and special collections for your own research project.
