Olympe de Gouges

I

Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights. Social distinctions may be based only on the common good.

II

The purpose of all political associations is the preservation of the natural and inalienable rights of Woman and Man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and above all, resistance to oppression.

III

The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the Nation, which is nothing but the union of Woman and Man: no body, no individual, may exercise any authority that does not expressly emanate from it.

IV

Liberty and justice consist in returning all that belongs to others; thus, the exercise of the natural rights of woman has no limits except the perpetual tyranny imposed by man; these limits must be reformed by the laws of nature and reason.

V

The laws of nature and reason forbid all actions harmful to society; whatever is not forbidden by these wise and divine laws cannot be prevented, and no one may be compelled to do what they do not command.

VI

Law must be the expression of the general will; all female and male citizens must participate, personally or through their representatives, in its formation; it must be the same for everyone: all female and male citizens, being equal in its eyes, must be equally eligible for all dignities, positions, and public offices, according to their abilities and with no other distinctions than those of virtue and talent.

VII

No woman is exempted; she may be accused, arrested, and detained in cases determined by law: women, like men, must obey this rigorous law.

VIII

The Law may establish only penalties that are strictly and obviously necessary, and no one may be punished except by virtue of a Law established and promulgated prior to the offense and lawfully applied to women.

IX

Any woman declared guilty shall be subject to the full rigor of the Law.

X

No one shall be disturbed for their opinions, even fundamental ones; woman has the right to mount the scaffold; she must equally have the right to mount the rostrum, provided that her demonstrations do not disturb the public order established by law.

XI

The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the most precious rights of woman, since this liberty ensures the legitimacy of fathers toward their children. Any female citizen may therefore freely say, I am the mother of a child that belongs to you, without a barbarous prejudice forcing her to conceal the truth; subject to responsibility for any abuse of this liberty in cases determined by Law.

XII

The guarantee of the rights of woman and the female citizen requires a major public power; this guarantee must be instituted for the advantage of all, and not for the particular benefit of those to whom it is entrusted.

XIII

For the maintenance of public power and for administrative expenses, the contributions of woman and man are equal; she shares in all duties, in all burdensome tasks; she must therefore have an equal share in the distribution of positions, offices, honors, and professions.

XIV

Female and male citizens have the right to verify, by themselves or through their representatives, the necessity of the public contribution. Female citizens may only agree to it through equal participation, not only in wealth but also in public administration, and to determine the amount, basis, collection, and duration of the tax.

XV

The collective body of women, joined with that of men for taxation, has the right to demand an account from any public official of his administration.

XVI

Any society in which the guarantee of rights is not secured, nor the separation of powers established, has no constitution; the constitution is null and void if the majority of individuals composing the Nation has not participated in its drafting.

XVII

Property belongs to all sexes united or separately: each has a right to it whenever public necessity, legally established, obviously requires it, and under the condition of a just and prior compensation.