DeclarationoftheRightsofWoman,1791

WrittenbyOlympeDeGouges,1791

"[Olympe]DeGougeswasabutcher'sdaughter...whowroteseveralplaysanda
numberofpamphletsonthecomingEstatesGeneral.Inthiswork[LesDroitsdela
Femme]deGougesstatesthattheDeclarationofRightsofManandCitizenisnot
beingappliedtowomen.Sheimpliesthevoteforwomen,demandsanational
assemblyofwomen,stressesthatmenmustyieldrightstowomen,andemphasizes
women'seducation."DarlineGayLevy,HarrietBransonApplewhite,andMary
DurhamJohnson,eds.,WomeninRevolutionaryParis,17891795(Urbana,
UniversityofIllinoisPress,1980),p.87.

Note:DeGouges'sdevotiontothecauseofwomen's
rightsledtoherbeingchargedwithtreasonunderthe
ruleoftheNationalConvention.Shewasarrested,tried,
andlater,inNovemberof1793,executedbythe
guillotine.

TheRightsofWoman

Man,areyoucapableofbeingjust?Itisawomanwhoposesthequestion;youwill
notdepriveherofthatrightatleast.Tellme,whatgivesyousovereignempireto
opressmysex?Yourstrength?Yourtalents?ObservetheCreatorinhiswisdom;
surveyinallhergrandeurthatnaturewithwhomyouseemtowanttobeinharmony,
andgiveme,ifyoudare,anexamplofthistyrannicalempire.Gobacktoanimals,
consulttheelements,studyplants,finallyglanceatallthemodificationsoforganic
matter,andsurrendertotheevidencewhenIofferyouthemenas;search,probe,and
distinguish,ifyoucan,thesexesintheadministrationofnature.Everywhereyouwill
findthemmingled;everywheretheycooperateinharmonioustpgethernessinthis
immortalmasterpiece.
Manalonehasraisedhisexceptionalcircumstancestoaprinciple.Bizarre,blind,
bloatedwithscienceanddegeneratedinacenturyofenlightenmentandwisdom
intothecrassestignorance,hewantstocommandasadespotasexwhichisinfull
possessionofitsintellectualfaculties;hepretendstoenjoytheRevolutionandto
claimhisrightstoequalityinordertosaynothingmoreaboutit.
 DeclarationoftheRightsofWomanandtheFemaleCitizen

FortheNationalAssembytodecreeinitslastsessions,orinthoseofthenext
legislature:

Preamble

Mothers,daughters,sisters[and]representativesofthenationdemandtobe
constitutedintoanationalassembly.Believingthatignorance,omission,orscornfor
therightsofwomanaretheonlycausesofpublicmisfortunesandofthecorruptionof
governments,[thewomen]haveresolvedtosetforthasolemndeclarationthenatural,
inalienable,andsacredrightsofwomaninorderthatthisdeclaration,constantly
exposedbeforeallmembersofthesociety,willceaselesslyremindthemoftheirrights
andduties;inorderthattheauthoritativeactsfwomenandtehathoritativeactsof
menmaybeatanymomentcomparedwithandrespectfulofthepurposeofall
politicalinstitutions;andinorderthatcitizens'demands,henceforthbasedonsimple
andincontestableprinciples,willalwayssupporttheconstitution,goodmorals,and
thehappinessofall.
Consequently,thesexthatisassuperiorinbeautyasitisincourageduringthe
sufferingsofmaternityrecognizesanddeclaresinthepresenceandundertheauspices
oftheSupremeBeing,thefollowingRightsofWOmanandofFemaleCitizens.

ArticleI

Womanisbornfreeandlivesequaltomaninherrights.Socialdistinctionscanbe
basedonlyonthecommonutility.

ArticleII

Thepurposeofanypoliticalassociationistheconservationofthenaturaland
impresciptiblerightsofwomanandman;theserightsarelibertyproperty,security,
andespeciallyresistancetooppression.

ArticleIII

Theprincipleofallsovereigntyrestsessentiallywiththenation,whichisnothing
buttheunionofwomanandman;nobodyandnoindividualcanexerciseany
authoritywhichdoesnotcomeexpresslyfromit(thenation).

ArticleIV
Libertyandjusticeconsistofrestoringallthatbelongstoothers;thus,theonly
limitsontheexerciseofthenaturalrightsofwomanareperpetualmaletyranny;these
limitsaretobereformedbythelawsofnatureandreason.

ArticleV

Lawsofnatureandreasonproscibeallactsharmfultosociety;everythingwhichis
notprohibitedbythesewiseanddivinelawscannotbeprevented,andnoonecanbe
constrainedtodowhattheydonotcommand.

ArticleVI

Thelawmustbetheexpressionofthegeneralwill;allfemaleandmalecitizens
mustcontributeeitherpersonallyorthroughtheirrepresentativestoitsformation;it
mustbethesameforall:maleandfemalecitizens,beingequalintheeyesofthelaw,
mustbeequallyadmittedtoallhonors,positions,andpublicemploymentaccordingto
theircapacityandwithoutotherdistinctionsbesidesthoseoftheirvirtuesandtalents.

ArticleVII

Nowomanisanexception;sheisaccused,arrested,anddetainedincases
determinedbylaw.Women,likemen,obeythisrigorouslaw.

ArticleVIII

Thelawmustestablishonlythosepenaltiesthatarestrictlyandobviously
necessary...

ArticleIX

Onceanywomanisdeclaredguilty,completerigorisexercisedbylaw.

ArticleX

Nooneistobedisquietedforhisverybasicopinions;womanhastherightto
mountthescaffold;shemustequallyhavetherighttomounttherostrum,provided
thatherdemonstrationsdonotdisturbthelegallyestablishedpublicorder.

ArticleXI
Thefreecommunicationofthoughtsandopinionsisoneofthemostprecious
rightsofwoman,sincethatlibertyassuresrecognitionofchildrenbytheirfathers.
Anyfemalecitizenthusmaysayfreely,Iamthemotherofachildwhichbelongsto
you,withoutbeingforcedbyabarbarousprejudicetohidethetruth;(anexception
maybemade)torespondtotheabuseofthislibertyincasesdeterminedbylaw.

ArticleXII

Thegauranteeoftherightsofwomanandthefemalecitizenimpliesamajor
benefit;thisguaranteemustbeinstitutedfortheadvantageofall,andnotforthe
particularbenefitofthosetowhomitisentrusted.

ArticleXIII

Forthesupportofthepublicforceandtheexpensesofadministration,the
contributionsofwomanandmanareequal;shesharesallthedutiesandallthepainful
tasks;therefore,whemusthavethesameshareinthedistributionofpositions,
employment,offices,honors,andjobs.

ArticleXIV

Femaleandmalecitizenshavetherighttoverify,eitherbythemselvesofthrough
theirrepresentatives,thenecessityofthepubliccontribution.Thiscanonlyapplyto
womeniftheyaregrantedanequalshare,notonlyofwealth,butalsoofpublic
administration,andinthedeterminationoftheproportion,thebase,thecollection,and
thedurationofthetax.

ArticleXV

Thecollectivityofwomen,joinedfortaxpurposestotheaggregateofmen,hasthe
righttodemandanaccountingofhisadministrationfromanypublicagent.

ArticleXVI

Nosocietyhasaconstitutionwithouttheguaranteeofrightsandtheseparationof
powers;theconstitutionisnullifthemajorityofindividualscomprisingthenation
havenotcooperatedindraftingit.

ArticleXVII
Propertybelongstobothsexeswhetherunitedorseparate;foreachitisan
inviolableandsacredright'noonecanbedeprivedofit,sinceitisthetruepatrimony
ofnatire,unlessthelegallydeterminedpublicneedobviouslydictatesit,andthen
onlywithajustandpriorindemnity.

Postscript

Woman,wakeup;thetocsinofreasonisbeingheardthroughoutthewhole
universe;discoveryourrights.Thepowerfulempireofnatureisnolongersurrounded
byprejudice,fanaticism,superstition,andlies.Theflameoftruthhasdispersedallthe
cloudsoffollyandusurpation.Enslavedmanhasmultipliedhisstrengthandneeds
recoursetoyourstobreakhischains.Havingbecomefree,hehasbecomeunjustto
hiscompanion.Oh,women,women!Whenwillyouceasetobeblind?What
advantagehaveyoureceivedfromtheRevolution?Amorepronouncedscorn,amore
markeddisdain.Inthecenturiesofcorruptionyouruledonlyovertheweaknessof
men.Thereclamationofyourpatrimony,basedonthewisedecreesofnaturewhat
haveyoutodreadfromsuchafineundertaking?Thebonmotofthelegislatorofthe
marriageofCana?DoyoufearthatourFrenchlegislators,correctorsofthatmorality,
longensnaredbypoliticalpracticesnowoutofdate,willonlysayagaintoyou:
women,whatisthereincommonbetweenyouandus?Everything,youwillhaveto
answer.Iftheypersistintheirweaknessinputtingthisnonsequiturincontradictionto
theirprinciples,courageouslyopposetheforceofreasontotheemptypretentionsof
superiority;uniteyourselvesbeneaththestandardsofphilosophy;deployallthe
energyofyourcharacter,andyouwillsoonseethesehaughtymen,notgrovelingat
yourfeetasservileadorers,butproudtosharewithyouthetreasuresoftheSupreme
Being.Regardlessofwhatbarriersconfrontyou,itisinyourpowertofree
yourselves;youhaveonlytowantto....
Marriageisthetomboftrustandlove.Themarriedwomancanwithimpunitygive
bastardstoherhusband,andalsogivethemthewealthwhichdoesnotbelongtothem.
Thewomanwhoisunmarriedhasonlyonefeebleright;ancientandinhumanlaws
refusetoherforherchildrentherighttothenameandthewealthoftheirfather;no
newlawshavebeenmadeinthismatter.Ifitisconsideredaparadoxandan
impossibilityonmyparttotrytogivemysexanhonorableandjustconsistency,I
leaveittomentoattaingloryfordealingwiththismatter;butwhilewewait,theway
canbepreparedthroughnationaleducation,therestorationofmorals,andconjugal
conventions.