Maria Baers became one of the first women senators in Belgium, elected in 1929 representing the Catholic Party.
In 1929, following the extension of limited political rights to women in Belgium (women gained the right to run for and be elected to the Senate and Chamber in 1921, though full suffrage came only in 1948), Maria Baers was elected as a senator representing the Catholic Party for the Antwerp constituency.
This made her one of the pioneering women to sit in the Belgian Senate at a time when women's formal political representation was still exceedingly rare and contested. Her election was a landmark for the Christian women's movement in Belgium, validating decades of grassroots organizing among working women, particularly through her leadership in Catholic women's labour organizations.
As a senator, Baers used her position to advocate for social legislation protecting women and children in the workplace, maternity protections, and the professionalization of domestic and social work. Her presence in the Senate helped legitimize women's political participation within the conservative Catholic milieu, opening pathways for future generations of Christian-democratic women politicians in Belgium.
Her dual role as both a grassroots organizer and a national legislator exemplified the strategy of the Christian women's movement: build institutional power at the base, then translate that into formal political influence.