Louise van den Plas


Louise van den Plas was a Belgian suffragist and the founder of the first Christian feminist movement in Belgium.

Biography

Louise van den Plas was born in Brussels, Belgium, January 24, 1877. She discovered feminism by reading Le grand Catéchisme de la femme, by, and the writings of Marie de Villermont.
In March 1899 in Brussels, she met Marie Duclos, founder, with Marie Maugeret of the French Catholic feminist association "Christian Feminism". Van den Plas went to Paris to study this movement and then, on the advice of Duclos, she made contact in Brussels with Belgian journalist Rene Henry and a friend of the latter,, a member of the Chamber. The latter were all the more interested in the situation of women as Belgium was moving towards universal suffrage and the enlargement of the electorate could benefit the socialists. The latter intended to vote in favor of women's suffrage, but there were fears associated with that.
In May 1902, feminist groups with varied political views created a Feminist Union to weigh in favor of women's suffrage. Van den Plas took this opportunity to represent the Catholic group. "Le Féminisme chrétien de Belgique" was founded on May 6, 1902. It aimed to improve women's rights and promote feminism among Catholics while respecting the Catholic constitution of the family. It issued a monthly organ, Christian Feminism of Belgium, and provided lectures.
With other feminist organizations, Christian Feminism gave the opportunity for women to enter into family councils and guardianship management, as well as advocating the full civil capacity of women who had obtained legal separation. Through its efforts alone, a woman's testimony was accepted to the acts of civil status. Further, Van den Plas called for the equality of teachers' pay and supported the struggles of feminine unionism along with.
Van den Plas won the sympathy of some of the Catholic newspapers and the Belgian Democratic League for the suffrage of women. She said that women would take a special look at issues of public morality, alcoholism, and school. On March 3, 1912, Christian Feminism founded the Catholic League of Women's Suffrage, with the assistance of Cyrille van Overbergh. The League initiated an important petition in January 1913, signed by Van den Plas. Several feminist groups followed suit and together, they created the Suffrage Federation in the following month.
During the World War I, the publication of Christian Feminism's magazine was suspended and Van den Plas founded "Union patriotique des femmes belges" with Jane Brigode and Marguerite Nyssens, which provided for material aid to women. At the end of the war, the magazine reappeared and Van den Plas was offered a free platform in the daily Le Soir from 1921 to 1940. She died in Willaupuis, Belgium, December 4, 1968.

Works