Jeni Bojilova-Pateva | |
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| Born | Dzhenda Bozhilova 1 December 1878 Gradets, Principality of Bulgaria |
| Died | 17 June 1955 (aged 76) Sofia, People's Republic of Bulgaria |
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| Nationality | Bulgarian |
| Spouse | Ivan Patev |
Jeni Bojilova-Pateva, also transliterated as Zheni Bozhilova-Pateva, (Bulgarian: Жени Божилова-Патева; 1 December 1878 – 17 June 1955) was a Bulgarian teacher, writer, women's rights activist, and suffragist, who became involved in the pacifist movement. After graduating with teaching credentials in 1893, she began her profession, but was barred from teaching when a law was passed in 1898 that limited the rights of married women. She turned to activism and journalism, becoming involved in the international women's movement that year. A highly prominent feminist, she was one of the founders of the Bulgarian Women's Union in 1901. During 1905 in Burgas, she founded "Self-Awareness", a feminist group, and served as its chair for 25 years. As editor of the Women's Voice she published articles on developments in the women's movement in Bulgaria and abroad, as well as about issues affecting women. Throughout her career, she published over 500 articles and books.
A believer in women's suffrage, Pateva participated in numerous international conferences and frequently served as speaker at congresses. Her book, В помощ на жената (To Help Women), written in 1908, became foundational to the ideology of the Bulgarian Women's Union, laying out reforms needed to adapt policies affecting women and children. When the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom was founded in 1915, she became a prominent member of the pacifist movement. In 1944, when state socialism was established in Bulgaria, women gained the right to vote, but the league was among many grassroots organizations that were abolished. When Pateva asked for permission to open a cultural and educational society in 1945, she was branded an enemy of the people. Two years later, her protests over the death penalty and the sentencing of Nikola Petkov resulted in her home and her son's factory being nationalized, leaving them penniless.