Promotion of women in Lienz: from Maria Ducia to this day - a review

Promotion of women in Lienz: from Maria Ducia to this day - a review

On International Women's Day, March 10, 2025, the women's center East Tyrol organized a special walk through Lienz, which focused on the stories of women in the region. The event pulled 65 participants, including the mayor Elisabeth Blanik, who brought her dog. The hike illuminated historical events and outstanding female personalities, including Maria Ducia, who, in 1911 on the first Women's Day in Lienz, called for the right to vote for women, as can already be seen in earlier reports from dolomitenstadt.at . She was not only the first social democrat in the Tyrolean state parliament, but also a pioneer of the social democratic women's movement in Tyrol. Your life story is an impressive example of the struggle for the right to vote and equality.

Maria Ducia, born in Innsbruck in 1875, experienced difficult living conditions from early on, which she already brought to leave at the age of 16. Her return to Lienz in 1910 was crucial for her political commitment. Already in 1911 she gave a controversial speech in which she asked for active and passive voting rights for women. This was a courageous demand in a company dominated by men who, at a time when women had no voice, required great courage, so innsbruck-ert.at . Her persistence led her to become one of the first female MPs in the Tyrolean state parliament after the First World War.

At today's event, the tireless efforts of women in the past were recognized, in particular those who worked under adverse conditions and fought for social recognition. "There is still a lot to do," emphasized Brigitte Schieder from the Women's Center East Tyrol to point out the continued challenges. In 2024, a significant number of 322 girls and women were advised in the Women's Center East Tyrol, an indication that the commitment to women is still important.