The First Congress of Lithuanian Women () took place on in Kaunas (then part of the Russian Empire, now Lithuania). It was organized by Catholic priests in preparation for the October 1907 election to the third State Duma but discussed only cultural and economic issues. The organizers attempted to invite representatives of different social classes and political affiliations leading to disagreements between socialists and Catholic clergy, and between educated intellectuals and less educated villagers. The congress resolved to establish the Lithuanian Women's Union. However, disagreements between the liberals and the Catholics led to splintering of the women's movement and to the establishment of the Association of Lithuanian Catholic Women in January 1908. The Women's Union was officially established only in 1922.
The Lithuanian Women's Association was established in September 1905 during the Russian Revolution in Vilnius. It was organized and headed by women members of the intelligentsia. Different developments took place in Kaunas where women's issues were taken up by the members of the Catholic clergy, particularly by priest . The priests organized the Society of Saint Zita for female servants and maids.
In preparation for the October 1907 election to the third State Duma, Januà ¡eviÃÂius organized the First Congress of Lithuanian Women (the women were not allowed to vote in the election). According to Sofija KymantaitÃÂ-ÃÂiurlionienÃÂ, the congress originated from an idea to establish a shop of homemade textiles and a need to recruit village women for the enterprise. There were very few women intellectuals in Kaunas. The priests selected seven women for the organizational committee, however, according to KymantaitÃÂ-ÃÂiurlionienÃÂ, only one of them â Cecilija LeonienÃÂ, the wife of attorney Petras Leonas â had attended a gymnasium. The organizational committee invited women from villagers (more conservative and Catholic) and the women intellectuals from Vilnius (more liberal and anti-religious). To obtain the government permit for the gathering, it would not discuss any social or political issues, only cultural and economic affairs.
The congress was opened by writer GabrielÃÂ PetkeviÃÂaitÃÂ-BitÃÂ. Priests then wanted to elect a board to preside over the congress with a priest as its chairman. PetkeviÃÂaitÃÂ felt it was insulting to the women and proposed herself as the chair of the congress. She also proposed Sofija KymantaitÃÂ-ÃÂiurlionienÃÂ and Marija PeÃÂkauskaitÃÂ as vice-chairs, as secretary, and Petras Leonas as advisor. According to Leonas, due to poor health and weak voice, PetkeviÃÂaitÃÂ presided over the proceedings only on paper; PleirytÃÂ-PuidienÃÂ managed most of the actual work. None of the members of the original organizational committee got included on the board which left them feeling sidelined and snubbed.
The proceedings opened with a cantata about Lithuanian women composed specifically for the event by . The first day featured several speeches and presentations on the women's movement in Lithuania by LeonienÃÂ, on hardships of village women by Julija à ½ymantienÃÂ-à ½emaitÃÂ, on public duties (e.g. working as low-paid teachers or volunteer as nurses) of women intellectuals by PetkeviÃÂaitÃÂ, on women's professional education by , on teaching the history of Lithuania by KymantaitÃÂ-ÃÂiurlioninenÃÂ, on women's honor by PeÃÂkauskaitÃÂ, on schools, on ways to combat alcoholism, on homemade textiles, on vegetables and fruits. Most speakers stressed the need for education to improve one's circumstances. Women attendees also complained about their suffering â villagers about husbands who abused alcohol, city maids and servants about their exploitative employers. The women planned to publish a book will all presentations, but could not find a publisher. Three presentations were published in Vilniaus à ¾inios.
The second day saw more heated debates between socialists and Catholic clergy. Men became more active during these debates; they constituted a third of all speakers. The congress discussed whether to establish a newspaper dedicated to women's issues as well as the relationship between Lithuanian Women's Association and the Russian Union for Women's Equality. It was decided that the Lithuanian association should not become a chapter of the Russian union and should collaborate with the union as long as this collaboration did not hinder the women's movement in Lithuania. The congress concluded with the adoption of a resolution which called for the establishment of the new Lithuanian Women's Union which would participate in the international women's movement. Most contentious issue was the election of a 10-member committee to organize this new union as socialists and Catholic clergy fought for influence. The committee included GabrielàPetkeviÃÂaitàas chair, Sofija KymantaitÃÂ-ÃÂiurlionienàand Marija PeÃÂkauskaitàas vicechairs, and as secretaries, Celina Leonienàand Kotryna Norkytàas treasurers, and Joana GriniuvienÃÂ, Elena VaitkeviÃÂienÃÂ, and TeklàAugustinaviÃÂià «tàas members of the revision sub-committee. Several other women, including Felicija BortkeviÃÂienàand Julija à ½ymantienÃÂ, were selected as candidates in case of any resignations.
The apolitical agenda attracted representatives from different organizations and political parties. Therefore, the congress included women from different social classes and political convictions but since the proceedings were in the Lithuanian language, other nationalities (Russian, Polish, Jewish) were not represented. The total number of attendees is unknown. Participants later put estimates ranging from 350 to 700. The attendees had to purchase tickets that cost 25 kopeks for women and one ruble for men.
The women attendees included essentially all Lithuanian cultural elite at the time â GabrielàPetkeviÃÂaitÃÂ-BitÃÂ, Sofija KymantaitÃÂ-ÃÂiurlionienÃÂ, , Julija à ½ymantienÃÂ-à ½emaitÃÂ, Marija PeÃÂkauskaità(à  atrijos Ragana), Cecilija LeonienÃÂ, Felicija BortkeviÃÂienÃÂ, Liudvika Didà ¾iulienÃÂ, , . Men participants included Petras Leonas, Mykolas Sleà ¾eviÃÂius, Juozas Tumas-Vaià ¾gantas, Konstantinas Olà ¡auskas, , Vincas Kapsukas, Karolis Poà ¾ela, Steponas Kairys, Augustinas Janulaitis, Kazys Grinius.
The congress failed to unify women activists â women's movement in Lithuania split into two main branches: conservative Catholic and liberal-socialist. The disagreements became evident during the congress and only deepened when each side began publishing accusing articles in the Lithuanian press. The 10-member committee started working on the statute of the planned Lithuanian Women's Union. The first draft was prepared mainly by KymantaitÃÂ-ÃÂiurlionienàand PleirytÃÂ-Puidienàbased on the statute of the Russian Union for Women's Equality. In November, the statute was submitted to the Governor-General of Vilna for approval, but it was rejected. The Catholics protested this statute as they wanted to copy examples of organizations of Belgian and German Catholic women, not Russian liberals. After a failed attempt to find a compromise in December 1907, the Catholic camp established the Association of Lithuanian Catholic Women in January 1908. The Catholic association was approved by Kovno Governorate. The Tsarist authorities would not approve another women's organization thus effectively preventing the Lithuanian Women's Union from being organized. The Women's Union was officially established only in 1922.