Jadwiga Maria Szczawińska was born on 6 October 1864 at 16 Świętojańska Street in Warsaw to Bronisława Natalia (née Gumpricht, aka Gumbrycht) and Wojciech Albert Szczawiński.

Her mother was the daughter of a Warsaw hatter and her father, descended from an impoverished family which bore the Prawdzic coat of arms was employed in the administrative service of the police department.

[1] Szczawińska was the eldest of four children and her siblings included Wandę Marię (1866–1955), who would later be a physician; Helena Zofia (1872–1931), who would become the first wife of the composer Henryk Melcer-Szczawiński; and Gustaw Stefan [pl] (1874–1937), later a writer and businessman.

Her defiant nature caused her termination from her post and she began offering private lessons from her home to prepare girls for their exams.

[14] Some of the schools' most noted students were Nobel prizewinner Marie Curie, educator Janusz Korczak, and writer Zofia Nałkowska.

[6][7] Though very different in temperament — he was described by Nałkowska as inattentive, unkempt, and "never smiling", while "she was talkative and full of life" —[17] they shared a passion for social improvement, science,[18] and an independent, liberated Poland.

[19] Dawidowa began working as a journalist,[19] publishing in such journals as Głos (The Voice) and Przeglądzie Społecznym (Social Review), using various pseudonyms, including Jotes, Wojciech Kłos, J.

[20] That same year, Dawidowa led the drive to establish a public library in Warsaw, founding a reading room that offered scientific journals.

[18] In 1905, when the Polish Revolution failed, her husband was ordered to leave Poland and fled to Vienna, Dawidowa took over as editor of Głos from March through June and sent money to Dawid for his financial support, as his health was in decline.

[23] Though some 5,000 students had graduated from Flying University,[15] in 1906, Dawidowa withdrew from the board, when it was allowed to legalize its operations as the Towarzystwa Kursów Naukowych (Association of Scientific Courses).