Olympe de Gouges was born on May 7th, 1748. She was a women's right activist, fought against slavery, and conveyed most of her views through writing. She wrote plays, pamphlets, and stories. A notable document was "French Declaration of Rights for Women and Citizen", a response to the document “The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen” . These two documents mirror each other in what rights they convey, with de Gouges' putting an emphasis on the fact that women should hold the same rights as men, and should not be pushed aside.
She was married when she was sixteen, but after her husband died in 1766 was when she really started to make a name for herself– literally. She changed her name from her birth name of "Marie Gouze" to the much more known name of Olympe de Gouges. It was during this time she started writing, putting a focus on the social issues of the day. She vowed to never marry again, and kept this promise. She and her husband had one son, Pierre.
She worked hard for the rights of many groups, not just women. She wrote several plays addressing slavery, fought for the rights of inheritence for children born out of wedlock, and for the legalization of divorce. She wanted equal rights no matter race or gender, but did still support the idea of a king. She wanted France to have a constitutional monarchy, but this view is what led to her arrest and death. She was killed by guillotine on November 3rd, 1793, in Paris, France, for her defense of King Louis XVI.
Souces:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Olympe-de-Gouges
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympe_de_Gouges
https://www.college.columbia.edu/core/content/olympe-de-gouges
Image Source:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Olympe-de-Gouges