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How did women gain voting rights under the Weimar Republic?

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Birth of the Weimar Republic — Weimar Republic Learn about Germany's fledgling Weimar Republic and the challenges it faced.

Women gained the right to vote in Germany as a direct result of the political transformations following the November Revolution of 1918, which brought an end to the German Empire.12

Following the abdication of Emperor William II and the proclamation of a republic, the new government established a democratic parliamentary system that included women’s suffrage as a progressive feature. This right was formally exercised for the first time during the general election held on January 19, 1919.12

Subsequently, the Weimar constitution, promulgated on August 11, 1919, solidified this democratic foundation by explicitly stating that all men and women over the age of 20 were entitled to vote for the Reichstag. This enfranchisement was part of a broader wave of political change in Europe following World War I, during which many nations moved to grant women equal voting rights.345