I want to dedicate this 8th of March to a very important woman: Olympe de Gouges
Everyone is familiarised with the legacy from the French Revolution, summed up in three words: freedom, equality, fraternity
We also know it was during this time, in 1789 to be exact, that the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was written. It promised personal and civil rights for all French citizens, without exception
But it didn’t mention anything about women’s public or political equality. The revolutionaries took “Rights of Man” very literally
“Could it still be relevant to preach about equality if the document did not include the Rights of Woman? Shouldn’t there be an equality of genders for the document to be indeed revolutionary?”
These were the questions posed by Olympe de Gouges, an activist of the time who was one of the first to oppose slavery in France
Radical and rebel as she was, in 1791 she wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Citizen. It was a critique and satire of the original, pointing out the lack of women’s political rights and demanding equality—something that made the revolutionaries pretty uncomfortable
She was seen as very radical, even for the radicals of her time
The exclusion of women in the concept of "citizen" was considered as something coherent with the rationale of the time. "Citizenship" meant being independent and responsible—paying taxes, making responsible choices, and fighting for the country. Women couldn’t own property, join the army, or take public roles, so they didn’t qualify. This fit the logic of the 18th century, even though they had basic rights like marriage or inheritance
So Olympe's proposal was not a request for equal rights only. She was requesting equal obligations too. She said women should have the same duties and rights as men to be citizens. She demanded equality everywhere—voting, owning property, going to school, serving in the military, holding office, and sharing power at home and in the Church. To her, citizenship wasn’t just about rights; it meant women taking on big responsibilities to prove they were equal.
"If all it takes to be full citizens and have full rights is to take on full duties and full responsibilities, then bring it on!" That was the idea.
In spite of her efforts, Olympe never saw her declaration materialise into actual rights and she had a tragic end when she was sent to the guillotine for calling for a plebiscite for to french to decide the type of government they wanted in France.
To me her legacy is of extreme importance, as she reminds everyone -independent of race, gender, ethnicity- that even if inequality and lack of freedom can be logically understood and rationally justified, it doesn't mean you need to accept it
The legacy of Olympe de Gouges is a powerful example that, if something feels unfair, unreasonable or wrong, you have the power to change it, by presenting a better alternative yourself.
Liberté. Égalité. Beyoncé.
