Women's Antifascist Front (Yugoslavia)

The Women's Antifascist Front (Serbo-Croatian: Antifašistički front žena / Антифашистички фронт жена, abbreviated as AFŽ / АФЖ; Slovenian: Protifašistična fronta žensk) was a mass organization for women in Yugoslavia during World War II and the postwar period. It played a significant role in the Yugoslav Partisan resistance movement and in the socialist reconstruction of the country after the war.

Founded in 1942 in Bosanski Petrovac, it united women from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds in the fight against Axis occupation forces and their collaborators. The AFŽ’s activities ranged from providing material support and medical care to Partisan fighters, to engaging in armed combat and espionage. Women participated in all aspects of the resistance, challenging traditional gender roles and contributing significantly to the Partisan war effort.

Following the end of World War II, the AFŽ transitioned from a wartime organization to one focused on social and economic development. It played a key role in promoting women's literacy and education, improving healthcare, and advancing women's rights within the socialist framework. The organization worked to integrate women into the workforce and political life, advocating for equal opportunities and challenging patriarchal norms.

The AFŽ operated at the federal, republic, and local levels, with a hierarchical structure that allowed for widespread participation and coordination. It worked closely with the Communist Party of Yugoslavia and other mass organizations to implement socialist policies and mobilize the population for national development.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the AFŽ was gradually integrated into other social and political organizations within Yugoslavia, reflecting a shift towards a more unified and less explicitly gender-based approach to socialist development. While the AFŽ as a distinct organization eventually dissolved, its legacy as a powerful force for women's emancipation and national liberation continues to be recognized in the history of Yugoslavia.