Olympe De Gouges Research Paper

In 1789, the Declaration of Rights of Man was adopted by the National Constituent Assembly during the French Revolution. Essentially, this document lays out the “sacred rights of men and of citizens” (Pomeranz 171). As with any change in government, there was controversy amongst many. In this case, many women were angered, especially Olympe de Gouges. De Gouges was a self-educated, French widow who wanted the human rights in the French Constitution to be equal and parallel for both men and women. In response to the Declaration of the Rights of Man, in 1791, she wrote Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen. In this, she is essentially demanding that women, particularly widows, gain rights to wealth and property in marriage.
The right to property being inviolable and sacred, no one ought to be deprived of it, expect in cases of evident public necessity, legally ascertained, and on condition of a previous just indemnity” (Pomeranz 173). This clause discusses the “right of property”, yet women were still being considered as property. Many of these rights were referring directly to men, not giving rights to women. Women were still being denied wealth and land owned by their husbands, even when their husbands have died.
De Gouges calls specifically to the female population by beginning this piece with, “Women, wake up; the tocsin of reason is being heard throughout the whole universe; discover your rights” (Pomeranz 174). She uses strong language such as “wake-up” and “discover your rights” to show how serious and intense she is speaking. She tells them to ask themselves, “What advantages have you received from the Revolution?” (Pomeranz 174). Here, she is implying that the revolution is incomplete and there needs to be another step