Olympe de Gouges: Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen

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Olympe de Gouges: Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen
Overview
Context
Explanation and Analysis of the Document
Impact
Document Text

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Abstract

In September 1791, approximately two years after the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was promulgated in France, Marie Gouze wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen. A self-educated butcher’s daughter from the south of France, she wrote a number of pamphlets, plays, and speeches under the name Olympe de Gouges. Her preamble was a call to arms to all women, including the queen of France, Marie-Antoinette. Calling on the Supreme Being for guidance, she lists seventeen rights of women and female citizens. Ending with a sample marriage contract designed to ensure more equitable treatment of women, the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen was never accepted or promulgated.

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