Defiance. Three Women and the Vote

In 1910 a small group of women risk everything in the struggle for self-determination, fair wages and the right to vote. They are ridiculed, ostracized, even arrested - but never disheartened. Soon more women - and same men - join them, and by 1919 they have succeeded: Austria and Germany introduce the vote for women. Most European countries will follow later.

It's a combined effort by the feminist movements of both countries, and a shared victory. Two different approaches - principle on the one hand, pragmatism on the other - together achieve a single aim: new and better gender relations.

Marking the centenary of the Women's Vote in Germany and Austria, this film traces the lang and rocky road to success via the lives of three courageous women who broke with tradition for a better and more equal society.

Clara Zetkin in Germany and Austrian feminist Adelheid Popp are the most famous leaders of the labour movement, while Hildegard Burjan - known for her tireless social work in Austria - was born to a liberal middle-class family in Germany.

To achieve women's rights and gender equality, these three pioneers were willing to risk their livelihood and their future, as well as their reputations. They're not just heroines we can readily identify with; a hundred years on, they're still inspiring women all over the world.