Agda Östlund

Who was Agda Östlund?

Agda Östlund was a Swedish Politician of the Social Democrats. She belonged to the first women to have been elected to the Swedish parliament.

Agda Östlund was born in a working class home in Köping. She supported herself as a seamstress in Stockholm, where she eventually founded her own studio with several employees. Östlund was active in the Stockholms allmänna kvinnoklubb from 1903, where she became chairman. She was also active within Social Democratic Women in Sweden, where she served as chairman in its executive committee in 1911-1917. Östlund was active in the struggle for women suffrage and made many nationwide journeys to speak in its favour.

In 1921, Agda Östlund became one of the five first women to be elected to the Swedish Parliament after women suffrage alongside Nelly Thüring, Bertha Wellin and Elisabeth Tamm in the Lower chamber, and Kerstin Hesselgren in the Upper chamber. Östlund remained in the Parliament until 1940.

In parliament, Agda Östlund became the first woman to speak in the Swedish Second Chamber. She was also the first of her gender to be appointed member of the Parliament's Legislative Committee as a representative of her party. Östlund engaged in the question of spousal abuse, women's pension and medical care for women and children. She also raised the question of abortion, during which several MPs left the room in protest.