A writer, author of what is considered the first Portuguese feminist manifesto (1905), she launched the Republican League of Portuguese Women and founded, with Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, the Feminist Propaganda Association, which advocated the vote for educated women.
Republicwriter, pioneer of children’s literaturejournalistfounder of the Republican League of Portuguese Womenfounder and president of the Feminist Propaganda Associationcontributor to the 1910 divorce law
She was born in Mangualde on 18 June 1872.15 Author of the series Para as Crianças (For the Children; 1897–1935), she is considered the founder of children’s literature in Portugal.1 In 1905 she published Às Mulheres Portuguesas (To Portuguese Women), considered the first Portuguese feminist manifesto.815 She edited the magazine A Sociedade Futura (The Future Society), where she was succeeded by Olga de Moraes Sarmento.7
In 1907 she was leading the Portuguese Group for Feminist Studies, and in August 1908 she launched, with António José de Almeida, the idea of the Republican League of Portuguese Women.2 The League was born in 1909, on the second floor of No. 6 Rua dos Castelinhos.1 After the proclamation of the Republic, she worked with Afonso Costa, the Minister of Justice, on the divorce law.15
She argued for the vote only for women who were educated and who worked; Maria Veleda’s wing would accept no restrictions.4 The split led her to leave the League and to found, with Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, on 12 May 1911, the Feminist Propaganda Association.46 The judge who ruled in Carolina’s favour in the appeal that opened the electoral rolls to her was Ana’s father, João Baptista de Castro.3 On 28 May, the day Carolina voted, the two were photographed by the polling place, the Clube Estefânia, for Ilustração Portuguesa.34 On 24 July, the Association petitioned the Constituent Assembly for women’s suffrage.4 When Carolina died, in October, Ana was elected president; while she was in Brazil, her mother, Mariana Osório de Castro, chaired it on an interim basis.6
Later in 1911 she went with her husband, Paulino de Oliveira, who had been appointed consul in São Paulo.15 During the Great War she founded the Women’s Committee “Pela Pátria” (For the Homeland), from which the Crusade of Portuguese Women was born.1 She died on 23 March 1935.15 In 1976 the City Council named a street in Carnide after her.1
Quem fundou «A Sociedade Futura»: Ana de Castro Osório (Toponímia de Lisboa) ou Olga de Moraes Sarmento e o marido, Manuel João da Silveira (Wikipédia). A Dignipédia Global diz só que fez parte da direção da revista (1902).
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9Ana Lúcia Ferreira, Osório, Ana de Castro [Dicionário Global]. Dignipédia Global — consulted on 4 October 2026Em maio de 1911, com Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, Ana de Castro Osório fundou a Associação de Propaganda Feminista (1911-1918); a bibliografia cita o livro de João Esteves sobre a associação, com as mesmas datas.
