The women who shaped Moldovan feminism, celebrated in illustrations

In Eastern Europe, the new wave of feminism is considered by many as a Western idea.

Young initiatives are trying to change this narrative by unearthing and sharing the local roots of the battle for women’s rights.

One group of artists in Moldova set out to tell this forgotten history in a visually compelling way, by making an illustrative series paying tribute to Moldovan women who fought for equality. Produced by Constanța Dohotaru, Natalia Gârbu, and Nina Lozinschi, the project features activist Ecaterina Arbore (1873-1937), doctor and politician Elena Alistar (1873-1955), educator Natalia Dadiani (1865-1903), as well as the first women in their profession, such as architect Etti-Roza Spirer (1900-1990), geologist Maria Pocora (1884-1933), and lawyer, Eugenia Crușevan (1889-1976), among others. The series was turned into a calendar sold together with the arts and culture magazine Mahala — The Calendar of Moldova’s 12 Feminists.

“I made a subjective list of feminists: women who spearheaded political movements, or were the first in their fields, opening the doors to other women,” says Dohotaru, one of the project’s organisers.

“It’s important to know that what we now call feminist movements have existed since the end of the 18th century in what is today known as Republic of Moldova. It was thanks to these movements that by the mid-19th century, women were gaining the right to education. We have always had brave, strong, perseverent women in Moldova and we are just continuing their work.”