Olympe De Gouges:                                                                                  Daniel Rawson

Olympe De Gouges was one of the most radical voices for women’s rights during the late 1700’s. Inspired by the democratic revolution, Olympe advocated for the abolition of slavery and rights for orphans and unwed mothers. Olympe was a playwright and a Parisian intellectually, giving her a strong platform to promote her progressive ideas to the public. One of her biggest assertions was in regards to women and their ability to speak in public. Olympe argued, if women can be executed in a public fashion they should be permitted to speak in public.

Olympe De Gouges made her arguments through the publication of the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Woman Citizen. This stressed that the Declaration of the Rights of Man from the French Revolution should extend to women and their rights as individuals and not limited to men. In her publications, Olympe questions men and their lack of recognition for women’s rights, asking basic rhetorical questions which highlight the lack of continuity within society in regards to men’s rights and women’s rights.

There is one striking difference that I noticed when reading this text. In her publication, Olympe De Gouges seems to come off almost as desperate when advocating for women and their rights, essentially pleading to the public to recognize the oppression women are experiencing. Most of her arguments are geared towards women and getting them to raise up and fight for their own rights as she states, “women, rouse yourself, the tolling of the bell of reason can be heard throughout the universe; recognize your rights” (27).