Olympe de Gouges

Olympe de Gouges (1748-1793) countered the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen from 1789, which, despite the principle of equality, denied women their rights, with a Declaration of the Rights of Woman in 1791, which is considered the first feminist proclamation of equality in the history of ideas. She demanded complete equality for women, both active and passive voting rights, as well as access to public office. At the same time, the entire legal system was to be changed to provide women with economic independence and equal opportunities in education. The inconvenient advocate was sentenced to death for treason and executed by guillotine. Her work 'Les Droits de la Femme' is published in this volume in its complete text with a new translation and extensive commentary.