Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen (1791)¶

Author: Olympe de Gouges
Type: Primary Source · Political Manifesto
Source: Public domain — Wikisource translation
Era/Period: Era 3 — Age of Revolutions
WH Standards: WH.6_12.4 · WH.6_12.3
ELA Standards: 9-10.R.9 · 9-10.W.4

What This Text Is About¶

The "Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen" is a political manifesto published in 1791 by Olympe de Gouges, a French playwright and political activist who sought to extend the revolutionary principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity to women. De Gouges' declaration mirrors the famous "Declaration of the Rights of Man," but it specifically addresses the rights of women, challenging the gender inequalities that persisted in post-Revolutionary France. This document is a cornerstone in the history of feminism and human rights advocacy, advocating for women's political, social, and economic equality.

This text is crucial for high school students to understand because it introduces them to the foundational concepts of civil rights and feminist philosophy during the Age of Revolutions. It also encourages critical thinking about the role of gender in society and its impact on individual freedoms and collective progress.

Read It¶

Source: Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen by Olympe de Gouges, 1791

Preamble¶

Women, wake up! A revolution is being prepared in France but are we to be excluded from its benefits? No. Take courage then, a day is coming when it will be announced: "Woman, you are no longer enslaved; woman, learn to know yourself and to arm yourself with the knowledge of your rights."

The natural rights of women and of men are liberty, equality, property, and resistance to oppression.

Articles 1–6 — Core Rights¶

Article I. Women are born free and remain equal to men in rights.

Article II. Distinctions based on sex are contrary to nature; they should be abolished by law.

Article III. The right to participate in the making of laws is a fundamental guarantee of women's freedom.

Article IV. Liberty consists in being able to do anything which does not harm others; thus, the exercise of the natural rights of every woman has no bounds other than those that ensure to the community at large the enjoyment of its own liberty.

Article V. The law has only the right to prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society. Everything else is beyond the pale of its authority because it would be prejudicial to personal freedom.

Articles 10–11 — Freedom of Speech¶

Article X: "Woman has the right to mount the scaffold; she must equally have the right to mount the rostrum."

[This article emphasizes that if women are subject to punishment under law, they should also be afforded the same opportunities as men to express their opinions and engage in public debate.]

A society where half of its members suffer from a lack of freedom cannot be considered free. Women must have an equal voice in shaping laws and participating in governance because this is essential for the realization of true liberty and equality.

ELA Standards This Connects To¶

9-10.R.9: Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington’s Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”), including how they address related themes and concepts.
9-10.W.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

WH.6_12.4: Analyze multiple causal factors that shaped major outcomes of World War II.
WH.6_12.3: Use questions generated about individuals and groups to analyze primary and secondary sources for accuracy and sufficiency in addressing the historical question.

Key Vocabulary¶

Term	Definition
Suffrage	The right to vote
Enfranchisement	The process of granting a group the rights of voting
Equality	The state of being equal in status, rights, and opportunities
Citizenry	The body of citizens of a country or region
Liberty	Freedom from arbitrary or despotic control
Fraternity	A feeling of close association with others based on shared interests or ideals

Studio Ideas¶

EQ: How does the Declaration challenge societal norms and expectations for women?
Standard: 9-10.R.9
Mode: Demo Mode (students present their analysis to peers)
EQ: What are some historical and contemporary examples of movements that aimed at achieving similar rights as outlined in the Declaration?
Standard: WH.6_12.3
Mode: Studio Creation Mode (collaborative presentation or research project)
EQ: How can women's political participation contribute to societal progress and change?
Standard: 9-10.W.4
Mode: Workshop Mode (peer review of written arguments)

Why This Is Relevant Today?¶

Olympe de Gouges wrote her Declaration of the Rights of Woman in 1791 by simply taking the Declaration of the Rights of Man and replacing "man" with "woman" — to show that the logic of universal rights either applies to everyone or it isn't universal. She was guillotined two years later. The argument she made — that if rights are truly inherent to persons, denying them to women is a logical contradiction — has been made by every feminist movement since, in every country where women have fought for rights they were told they didn't deserve. The specific rights she demanded (to vote, to own property, to speak publicly, to participate in government) are still contested in parts of the world today, and the argument that women's equality threatens the natural social order is still made. Her fate is also instructive: she challenged a revolutionary government that proclaimed universal freedom and was executed for doing so. The gap between a movement's stated values and who it actually includes is never closed automatically.