Both the women's movement's and the different access to societal power bases of men and women have been the object for several studies during the past years. The importance of economical power resources has only been noticed sporadically. Which role did economic resources play for women's and men's access to political power? The aim of this project is to investigate the role of economy for organizing the women's movement and also it's possibilities to influence the process of political decisions. We focus on economic strategies and their legitimating within the early women's movement between 1880-1950, and a comparison with corresponding organisations in Germany, Great Britain and Switzerland. Historical investigations of material bases for the women's movements can help us understand how financial conditions have influenced organisations, what kind of political questions these could afford to fight for and in what way they could afford to fight. The theoretical frame for this project is placed within theories on social movements and framing. To obtain legitimacy and a powerful position organisations are depending on both symbolical and material power resources. How did they finance their activities? What kind of strategies were used for financing and mobilisation? How did they obtain legitimacy? We have chosen to study both the Fredrika-Bremer-förbundet and the Socialdemokratiska kvinnoförbundet, who represent two different forms for organising and with different ideologies: One independent liberal middleclass organisation and one party-affiliated, socialist working-class organisation.