- One of the founding texts of modern feminism, this document demanded political, economic, and social rights for women.
2. Women's participation in the French Revolution:
- Thousands of women marched, petitioned, and even took up arms to support the Revolution.
- Notable figures like Théroigne de Méricourt and Charlotte Corday became symbols of the women's movement.
3. The Society of Revolutionary Republican Women (1793)
- Led by Pauline Léon and Claire Lacombe, this organization advocated for women's suffrage, education, and equal pay.
4. The "Feminine Virtues"
- Despite some gains during the Revolution, the ideology of "republican motherhood" emerged, emphasizing women's domestic and maternal roles.
5. The backlash:
- During the Napoleonic era, most revolutionary gains for women were rolled back.
- The Civil Code of 1804 (Code Napoléon) further entrenched women's subordination, reducing them to legal minors under the authority of their fathers or husbands.
6. The struggle for women's rights continued:
- Despite setbacks, the revolutionary spirit for equality and liberty ignited a long and ongoing struggle for women's rights in France and beyond.
7. The Revolution's legacy:
- While women's suffrage and many other rights weren't immediately achieved, the French Revolution laid the foundation for later feminist movements and gender equality advocacy.