Innovations
Olympe de gouges wrote a pamphlet, The Declaration of The Rights of Women. De Gouge addressed the pamphlet to the Queen, warning her that she must work for the Revolution of face the destruction of the monarchy (Hunt). The Declaration is a parallel to the the one written for men and presented to the king. de Gouges, while at first a supporter of the revolution, was greatly saddened by the lack of women’s rights presented in the document. She wrote “Man, are you capable of being just? It is a woman who poses the question; you will not deprive her of that right at least. Tell me, what gives you sovereign empire to oppress my sex? Your strength? Your talents?” (MacKeigan). For her time, Olympe de Gouges’ thinking was innovative and revolutionary, though drastically at odds with common thought. She asserted than women had the same rights to men, free speech, and the right to reveal the fathers of their children, which further questioned the strict social standards on the ways in which women’s sexuality could be managed. This was closely tied to her belief that illegitimate children should have the same rights as illegitimate children and her stance that women were more than reproductive vessels.
De Gouges is one of a handful of women who is currently being considered for membership to the Panthéon. This was the beginning of a national campaign, the feminist movement Osez le féminisme (Dare to be a feminist).
De Gouges’ document starts with, “Woman is born free and remains equal to man in her rights” (de Gouges). She continues to argues in her writing that women should have equality in all areas of life such as education, government, employment and the judicial systems. Many people around the world look to de Gouge as the founder of the French feminist movement, and feminist movements everywhere.
De Gouges is one of a handful of women who is currently being considered for membership to the Panthéon. This was the beginning of a national campaign, the feminist movement Osez le féminisme (Dare to be a feminist).
De Gouges’ document starts with, “Woman is born free and remains equal to man in her rights” (de Gouges). She continues to argues in her writing that women should have equality in all areas of life such as education, government, employment and the judicial systems. Many people around the world look to de Gouge as the founder of the French feminist movement, and feminist movements everywhere.