"Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen" Olympe De Gouges  May 7, 1748 – November 3, 1793

Olympe was born Mary Gouze on May 7, 1748 in Montauban, France. She moved to Paris with her young son after her husband died and changed her name to Olympe De Gouges. She rejected the notion of marriage, promising that she would never marry again. After moving to Paris, De Gouges began to advocate for various social and political issues. She wrote about improving divorce, maternity hospitals, abolitionism, rights for orphaned children and unmarried mothers. She wrote plays surrounding these ideas that graced the stages She wrote L’Esclavage des noirs (“Slavery of Blacks”) as well as many writings on the equality of the sexes, including  Declaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne (“Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the [Female] Citizen”). De Gouges believed that women and men should be treated equally and that “illegitimate” children should be given the same rights as the children of legal marriages. She held salons and began writing poetry, novellas, pamphlets and plays. Olympe did lean towards the moderate view on some issues, but was still very progressive for her time. De Gouges, already an advocate for human rights, became even more prolific during the French Revolution. The more experience she gained and the more that she wrote, she became increasingly progressive. In her writing, Declaration of Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen, she implored the Queen to join her in the feminist movement. She demanded that women be given the same right to climb the scaffold as men. This writing was a reaction to the document The Rights of Man, which excluded women. She was arrested for her outspoken beliefs in 1793 and was guillotined by Robespierre in Paris on November 3, 1793. (286)

Sources

“De Gouges, Olympe (1748–1793).” Historyofwomenphilosophers.Org, historyofwomenphilosophers.org/project/directory-of-women-philosophers/de-gouges-olympe-1748-1793. Accessed 13 Apr. 2022.

“Olympe de Gouges | Biography, Declaration of the Rights of Women, Beliefs, Death, and Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/biography/Olympe-de-Gouges. Accessed 13 Apr. 2022.

“Research Guides: Women in the French Revolution: A Resource Guide: Olympe de Gouges.” Women in the French Revolution, guides.loc.gov/women-in-the-french-revolution/olympe-de-gouges. Accessed 13 Apr. 2022.

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