FRANCE
Feminism in France, as a political movement, has its origins in the French Revolution of 1789.
Women had no political rights in pre-Revolutionary France; they could not vote or hold any
political office. They were considered "passive" citizens, forced to rely on men to determine
what was best for them in the government. Women were taught to be committed to their
husbands and their education of an consisted of learning to be a good wife and mother. Thus
women were not supposed to be involved in the political sphere as the limit of their influence
was raising of future citizens.
But, women began to vocally and openly demand their rights during the French Revolution, in
which they participated fully. In 1789, some months after the formation of the National
Assembly and the storming of the Bastille, crowds of women marched on Versailles, beginning
the riots that would force the royal family to move to back to Paris. Marie-Jean Caritat and her
Cercle Social agitated for full political rights for women.In 1791 Olympe de Gouges published
the notorious Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen. She was guillotined
two years later and ultimately the Revolution failed to bring full political rights for women.
From the early 1800s, the feminist movement became closely aligned with the Republican and
Socialist struggles of the Romantic period, leading to the Revolution of 1848 and
theproclamation of the Second Republic. Feminists like Louise Michel were active in the Paris
Commune,1871, which was eventually suppressed by the French army.
The women’s suffrage movement took off in the early 20th century with
Jeanne-Elizabeth Schmahl and Jane Misme’s moderate French Union for Women’s Suffrage.
They suspended their activism during World War I, and it was inactive during World War II.It was
not until 1944 that women finally gained the right to vote.
Philosophically, ‘French Feminism’ starts with Simone de Beauvoir and the 1949 publication of
The Second Sex, a pioneering analysis of women’s oppression. Beauvoir was an existentialist
feminist, famously proclaiming that ‘One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.’ For many
theorists, this marks the beginning of the Second Wave.The 1960s brought liberation in many
different forms. Feminist activist groups like ‘Psychanalyse et Politique’ were formed. The
Neuwirth Law legalised contraceptives in 1967. May 1968 saw mass student revolts and worker
Feminism in France, as a political movement, has its origins in the French Revolution of 1789.
Women had no political rights in pre-Revolutionary France; they could not vote or hold any
political office. They were considered "passive" citizens, forced to rely on men to determine
what was best for them in the government. Women were taught to be committed to their
husbands and their education of an consisted of learning to be a good wife and mother. Thus
women were not supposed to be involved in the political sphere as the limit of their influence
was raising of future citizens.
But, women began to vocally and openly demand their rights during the French Revolution, in
which they participated fully. In 1789, some months after the formation of the National
Assembly and the storming of the Bastille, crowds of women marched on Versailles, beginning
the riots that would force the royal family to move to back to Paris. Marie-Jean Caritat and her
Cercle Social agitated for full political rights for women.In 1791 Olympe de Gouges published
the notorious Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen. She was guillotined
two years later and ultimately the Revolution failed to bring full political rights for women.
From the early 1800s, the feminist movement became closely aligned with the Republican and
Socialist struggles of the Romantic period, leading to the Revolution of 1848 and
theproclamation of the Second Republic. Feminists like Louise Michel were active in the Paris
Commune,1871, which was eventually suppressed by the French army.
The women’s suffrage movement took off in the early 20th century with
Jeanne-Elizabeth Schmahl and Jane Misme’s moderate French Union for Women’s Suffrage.
They suspended their activism during World War I, and it was inactive during World War II.It was
not until 1944 that women finally gained the right to vote.
Philosophically, ‘French Feminism’ starts with Simone de Beauvoir and the 1949 publication of
The Second Sex, a pioneering analysis of women’s oppression. Beauvoir was an existentialist
feminist, famously proclaiming that ‘One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.’ For many
theorists, this marks the beginning of the Second Wave.The 1960s brought liberation in many
different forms. Feminist activist groups like ‘Psychanalyse et Politique’ were formed. The
Neuwirth Law legalised contraceptives in 1967. May 1968 saw mass student revolts and worker
