The article deals with the role and importance of the oldest convents (in particular those of the order of St. Clare) in informal emancipation of women in the past. It presents the main characteristics of nuns and abbesses, the economic importance of convents and their educational activities. The paper proves that in the past convents were practically the only means for women to assert themselves professionally and in their careers, and that convents can therefore be considered one of the first institutionalised forms of women's emancipation.