Yugoslavia Badges of Antifascist Women's Front

[wlodzimierz]

Some information I found about Antifascist Woman's Front in internet "The Antifascist Women's Front was established in December 1942 as important part of the National Liberation Movement of Yugoslavia.

The goals and the tasks of the Antifascist Women's Front were: armed and logistical support to the National Liberation Movement, development of brotherhood between the different ethnic

groups, awareness raising and political and cultural emancipation of women, recruitment of new women, organisation of educational activities, and care for the orphans, the wounded and the needy.

Given the patriarchal mentality of both the local population and the partisans, the members of the Antifascist Women's Front had to work very hard in order to combat prejudice and discrimination. In their efforts to win more women for the antifascist cause and the communist ideology, the members of the Antifascist Women's Front were also facing cultural and class differences between the women, as well as lack of trust between women of a different ethnic origin. The goal of development of 'brotherhood' between women was apparently not an easy task either.

Once the partisan victory was assured, the Communist Party started increasingly aiming at securing a power monopoly. As the autonomy of the Antifascist Women's Front stood in the way of this

monopoly, the Communist Party accused the Women's Front of separatism, development of feminist tendencies and straying from the general aims of the partisan struggle. Although the Antifascist Women's Front was not abolished, its integration in - and subordination to - the National Liberation Committees meant its marginalisation. When the Antifascist Women's Front got abolished on its 4th

Congress in 1953, this decision was justified by the view that the further existence of such a separate women's organisation would separate women too much from the joint efforts for solving the societal problems [and it would] support the wrong idea that the question of the position of women is somehow a separate women's question, instead of a question of [the whole] community and all fighters for socialism."

[Gordon Craig]

WLODZIMIERZ,

Interesting topic. Women who were involved in supporting the war effort seemed to suffer the same fate, on both sudes, following the war. The mentality that "now the war is over get back in the kitchen" seemed to suit men every where. Are the badges you posted the only ones worn or used by this group? Did they have their own uniforms etc?

Regards,

Gordon

[wlodzimierz]

Gordon,

I wish I could answer you question. I've read somewhere that this badges were used by participants of AWF Congress. At the moment no other information.

waldemar

[Gordon Craig]

waldemar,

Thanks for the response. Looks like we will both be researching this organization.

Regards,

Gordon

[Anatoly13]

Good pictures

[Anatoly13]

Reverse.