Maria Rabaté (3 July 1900 - 8 February 1985) was a French politician, writer, and school teacher. She was a member of the

French Communist Party The French Communist Party (french: Parti communiste français, ''PCF'' ; ) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its MEPs sit in the European Unit ...

, a trade unionist, and elected representative of the 1st district of Seine in the

French Parliament The French Parliament (french: Parlement français) is the bicameral legislature of the French Republic, consisting of the Senate () and the National Assembly (). Each assembly conducts legislative sessions at separate locations in Paris: ...

, from 1946 to 1960. She was also appointed a knight of the Legion of Honor for the Resistance.

Life

She was born as Maria Bernuchon on 3 July 1900 in

Moncontour, Vienne Moncontour () is a commune in the Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It was the site of the Battle of Moncontour in 1569. Notable people The composer Raymond Vaillant was born here on 21 January 1935. Pol ...

, and her father was a school teacher and a pacifist. From 1916 to 1919, she studied at the École normale in

Châteauroux Châteauroux (; ; oc, Chasteurós) is the capital city of the French department of Indre, central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called ''Castelroussins'' () in French. Climate Ch ...

, where she credits her teachers with influencing her political views. She trained as a teacher, being appointed to teach in 1922. She met her husband, Octave Rabaté, and had two children with him, Claude Marie (born in 1928), and Jean (born in 1931), eventually marrying Octave in 1953, in Paris.

Career

Rabaté was active in politics throughout her career, joining a union after she completed her education, and joining the

in 1921. Rabaté was a member of the Indre Education Union, sitting on their council from 1924 to 1925, and attending federal trade union conventions as their representative, from 1921 to 1927, while also campaigning for the Communist Party among the women of

Indre Indre (; oc, Endre) is a landlocked department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administ ...

. In 1927, she was a delegate at the National Women's Conference, which was held in Bordeaux, where she met her husband, fellow politician and activist, Octave Rabaté. She later moved to Bordeaux, where she was the chief organizer of the Women's Committee against War and Fascism, and recruited for the Communist Party, while her husband headed a trade union. Rabaté wrote for L'Ouvrière, a newspaper published by the

, from 1925 to 1928. In 1930 and 1931, the Rabatés moved to Moscow, as Octave faced investigations by the French police for his involvement in agitations, and they later moved to Barcelona in 1932. During this time, Maria worked as a stenographer and typist at the newspaper,

L'Humanité ''L'Humanité'' (; ), is a French daily newspaper. It was previously an organ of the French Communist Party, and maintains links to the party. Its slogan is "In an ideal world, ''L'Humanité'' would not exist." History and profile Pre-World Wa ...

, working from the USSR Embassy, and as a proofreader for the

Comintern The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet Union, Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to ...

. The Rabatés eventually returned to France, living in Bordeaux, where Octave led a trade union and Maria worked as an organizer and recruiter amongst local women, for the Communist Party, leading agitations for better working conditions for factory workers. In 1935, she moved with her family to Paris, where she shifted focus from labor and trade union issues to anti-fascist agitations. In 1937, Rabaté actively supported the efforts of the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII, and was di ...

, travelling there to attend the Second Congress of Catalan and Spanish Women. Along with

Bernadette Cattanéo Bernadette Cattanéo ( Le Loarer; February 25, 1899 – September 22, 1963) was a French trade unionist and communist activist, as well as a newspaper editor and magazine co-founder. She is remembered as the secretary general of the World Committee ...

,she was a representative at meetings of the Executive Committee of the

Communist International The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to "struggle by a ...

in Moscow as well. She continued participation in Communist efforts through the 1930s, eventually travelling to live with her mother and children in Poitiers while her husband faced legal action. She headed the Femmes patriotes de Normandie, an organisation associated with the

French National Front The National Rally (french: Rassemblement National, ; RN), until 2018 known as the National Front (french: link=no, Front National, ; FN), is a far-rightAbridged list of reliable sources that refer to National Rally as far-right: Academic: * ...

, and directed local women's committees, eventually becoming a founding member and leader of the Union of French Women. She also served as a deputy for the Communist Party from 1946 to 1958. Rabaté initially served in municipal bodies, being elected the secretary of the provisional city council of Paris in 1945, and sitting on the city council from 1950 onwards. In October 1945, she also ran unsuccessfully for legislative elections, from the 1st constituency of Seine. Rabaté was elected to the National Assembly of the French Parliament in November 1946, representing the 1st constituency of Seine, and did not re-contest municipal elections thereafter, choosing to focus on her legislative work. She was re-elected again from 1951 to 1956, and for a third time, serving until 1958 for a total of three terms. During her term as an elected representative, she served on committees dedicated to family, population, public health (as vice-president) as well as Reconstruction and War Damage, and Justice and Legislation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rabate, Maria 1900 births 1985 deaths French Communist Party members French Communist Party politicians People from Vienne