About
Olympe de Gouges, born Marie Gouze in Montauban in 1748, was a French writer and political activist. Self-taught, she moved to Paris in the 1770s and adopted her pen name. She is best known for her 'Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen' (1791), which demanded legal, political, and social equality between the sexes. An abolitionist, she wrote plays and pamphlets. A moderate who supported a constitutional monarchy, she was arrested in 1793 and guillotined. Her work, long forgotten, was rediscovered in the 20th century, making her a foundational figure of feminism.
* 1748-05-07 — † 1793-11-03
Major works
- Zamore et Mirza; ou, L'heureux naufrage (1789)play
- Le mariage inattendu de Chérubin (1786)comedy
- Mirabeau aux Champs-Élysées (1791)play
- Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne (1791)political pamphlet
Key milestones
- 1748Born in Montauban as Marie Gouze.
- 1791Publication of the 'Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen'.
- 1793Executed by guillotine in Paris.
Themes
FeminismAbolition of slaveryWomen's rightsSocial justiceFrench Revolution
Sources: id.loc.gov · britannica.com · guides.loc.gov