I have never seen a cowardly woman in the partisans

WOMEN IN THE RAVNOGORA MOVEMENT

Ravna Gora movement he did not make much effort to win over women, and although he spoke to women to a small extent, even when he did, he came from a conservative, patriarchal views, seeing a woman exclusively as a wife and mother. The proclaimed ideal model of women insisted on national and patriarchal values, which represented insufficiently attractive attitudes that differed little from the rhetoric of collaborators. In doing so, the practice of engaging women's societies and even the combat engagement of certain women during the First World War, such as Milunka Savić, were not taken into account. Over time, the leadership of the movement began to look up to its Western allies and see the insufficient involvement of women, but even then it blamed women for insufficient involvement, without making significant moves to attract them to its side. Despite efforts to politically build and design the movement, in its most significant acts the Ravnogorje movement remained silent when it came to women's political rights.

photo: wikipedia

The Ravnogorsk movement did not count on the contribution of women to the military organization, and a very small number of women participated in combat actions. The desire of women to contribute was also embodied in the creation of the spontaneous women's combat organization Black Shawl, which was formed at the end of 1941 in the vicinity of Kragujevac as a reaction to the mass shootings, and which subsequently joined the Ravna Gora movement, performing a courier service for its needs, collecting medical supplies, weapons and ammunition. In addition to the role of couriers, women played the most prominent role as intelligence agents, especially in cities. The Ravnogorsk movement was considered a military and male organization, and such attitudes dominated the views of the movement's leadership. The women who participated in the Ravnagorje movement as fighters were few in number. Milka Baković and Jelena Kalabić Đorić can be singled out as prominent women for such involvement and further activities in the movement.

Milka Baković and Jelena Kalabić Đorić represent two striking female figures who fought with a rifle in their hands as part of the forces of the Ravnogorje region during the uprising in 1941. Their combat participation has several moments in common - both of them joined the squads after the pressure of the national liberation movement and participated in the insurgent battles, and then after the uprising was put down, they were engaged in other jobs, mostly as couriers.

Milka Baković was a teacher who, at the end of July 1941, joined the detachment in which she acted as a fighter, only to be captured by the national liberation movement. After the suppression of the uprising, it continued to operate as part of the Second Ravna Gora Corps. When joining the squad, it was emphasized to Jelena Kalabić Đorić that she would not be protected "as a weak female side", but that she would become a soldier "on guard, in ambush and fight". She managed to quickly build a reputation in the movement and gain the respect of the other fighters, mostly thanks to her courageous attitude in armed conflicts. Her participation in certain skirmishes was described by the words that she was "the last woman to withdraw from the fight".

WOMEN IN THE PARTISAN MOVEMENT

photo: wikipedia

In contrast to the collaborationist authorities and the Flatland movement, which did not have an affirmative attitude towards the women's issue, the communist movement advocated a positive solution to the women's issue even in the pre-war period, but as part of the revolution that sought to change the political and social system. Since the second half of the 1930s, there has been more active work on winning over women and increasing their number in party membership.

The response and participation of women in the national liberation detachments was large, unexpected and unplanned by the communist leadership, which mainly predicted the engagement of women in the party organization and health care. Unlike other parts of Yugoslavia, partisan the detachments in Serbia were mostly joined by educated young women who were already engaged in a communist organization, and whose lives were in danger due to their orientation. A significant number of women joined the uprising in 1941 and joined partisan units. The entry of women into the detachments was significantly reduced during 1942, when the crisis of the movement occurred and when the partisan leadership made decisions encouraging the admission of women into the detachments, which led to an increase in their number and taking measures to suppress opposition to their participation.

Although the party rhetoric emphasized the role of women and the need for equality and improvement of their position in the squads, in essence, traditional relations prevailed, which were accepted by female partisans themselves, working without complaint in secondary and less valued jobs, mainly related to health care and party organization. The very possibility of participating in the battle was a breakthrough in comparison to the past. Despite complaints about the military inexperience of female partisans, their courage was constantly present. Although the propaganda pushed the image of a brave and self-sacrificing partisan, she was not just a propaganda creation.

photo: wikipedia

A series of testimonies of participants in the national liberation struggles speak in a similar way about them. The exceptional courage of female partisans was emphasized, but also their readiness and the sacrifices they had to make as members of the detachment because of their gender. In their desire to prove themselves, female partisans tried to impress their male comrades with their endurance, courage and acceptance of numerous tasks. The presence of women in the detachments also influenced the braver behavior of men and encouraged them to be heroic in their desire to show themselves in front of the other sex. Many memories, such as those left by Mirko Tepavac, spoke in support of the heroism and courage of female partisans, even greater than their male counterparts: "I learned to respect women during the war. I have seen many heroic men, but also cowards. I have never seen a cowardly woman in the partisans. Men must go to war. Women don't have to. They were not forced into the partisans, they were forced out of the partisans!"

Although the percentage of the smallest number of female partisans was on exclusively military duties, despite the patriarchal shyness and non-acceptance of the role of women as fighters, one woman became the symbol of partisan resistance among the population in Serbia. It was Božidarka Damnjanović Kika, deputy political commissar of the Kosmaj partisan detachment. As a woman, with her behavior and appearance, she knew how to adapt to the expectations of the village world, but also to the needs of warfare. Although it made it difficult for her to move, she did not wear pants, but a skirt, and sometimes black. She was dressed like a peasant to blend in with her surroundings, and often wore wool and spindles for camouflage. Božidarka Damnjanović exerted a strong influence on rural girls, to whom she was a kind of role model. Acquaintances with a large number of people contributed to her reputation, and the fact that the population spread incredible stories about her, that she is elusive and unpredictable, and that she appears like a bandit where no one expects her, also contributed to her popularity.

Božidarka Damnjanović became a symbol of partisan resistance and invincibility to such an extent that people sang songs about her. In their memories, some of the citizens of Ravnagore admitted that she had become the "fear and terror of Kosmaj and the surrounding area", even some of them, shaken in their strength, believed in her invincibility and on the news that she had been captured, one declared: "She is not no one can catch her, because it was said a thousand times that she was caught, but she wasn't".

In accordance with the policy of the national liberation movement, and as a form of recognition for the contribution of women in the war, after the liberation the promises of civil and political equality were fulfilled and for the first time in the history of Serbia, women were given the right to vote and be elected. However, the achievement of equality has contributed little to the disappearance of patriarchal views on women. Although they are equal before the law, women were not equally represented in political bodies, and the attitude towards them in the private sphere did not change significantly. Patriarchal relations and norms proved to be more persistent than political ideas, and the practical application of declared gender equality proved to be significantly more complex. Despite this, the women's issue was raised and changed its content, and women irreversibly stepped onto the political stage.

The author is a senior researcher at the Institute for Contemporary History