Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin (1826–1899), was a pioneer in the women's rights movement and women's peace movement in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. She has been called the first feminist in Switzerland. In 1868, she founded ''

Association internationale des femmes The Association internationale des femmes (AIF; International Association of Women) was a short-lived feminist and pacifist organization based in Geneva that was active between 1868 and 1872. It demanded full equality between men and women. This wa ...

'' (IAW), which was not only the first women's organisation in Switzerland, but also the first international women's organisation. She was a central figure in the continental activism for women's equal rights and better education.

Life

Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin was born in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

. After elementary education, she worked in the shop of her father, who was a clock maker. She married in 1845 and divorced in 1856. She married secondly to the exiled German revolutionary

Amand Goegg Amand Geogg (born in Germany; 1820-1897) was a journalist and a democrat. In 1849, he became a member of the provisional revolutionary government in Baden. He was a member of the First International and in the 1870s he joined the German Social ...

, and lived in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

with him for a while before returning to Switzerland. The couple separated in 1874 but never divorced. In 1867, she attended the congress of the newly founded '' International League for Peace and Freedom'' (ILPF) in Geneva. Disappointed in the lack of female participation within it, she founded the ''

'' (IAW) the following year. At the ILPF congress in Bern 1868, she made a public speech on women's rights. At the same congress, the first meeting of the IAW was held, followed by the first congress in 1870. This was the first international collaboration of women's rights groups, predating the introduction of the

International Council of Women The International Council of Women (ICW) is a women's rights organization working across national boundaries for the common cause of advocating human rights for women. In March and April 1888, women leaders came together in Washington, D.C., with ...

in 1888, uniting groups who worked for women's access to education, access to public sphere and abolition of regulated prostitution. The IAW was closely affiliated with the ILPF, who added women's rights to its demands. Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin stated that the participation of women in the public sphere was vital for the ILPF.s peace goal, which was a successful statement with the ILPF. She also supported

women suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

. In 1871, the IAW was discredited because of its affiliation with the Paris Commune, and Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin stepped down from her involvement in it. After this, she focused on women's rights within Switzerland in particular. In 1872, she founded the ''

Association pour la défense de la Femme av droit Association pour la défense de la Femme av droit, commonly known as Solidarité, was a women's organization in Switzerland, founded in 1872. Berta Rahm: Marie Goegg (geb. Pouchoulin). Mitbegründerin der Internationalen Liga für Frieden und Frei ...

'' (or Solidarité), where she worked alongside another pioneer of the Swiss women's rights movement,

Julie von May (von Rued) Julie von May (von Rued) (26 February 1808 – 5 March 1875), was a Swiss feminist. In 1868, she became the chairperson of the first women's organisation in Switzerland: ''Association Internationale des Femmes''. She supported women suffrage, but ...

. After a campaign initiated by Goegg-Pouchoulin, women were given access to the

University of Geneva The University of Geneva (French: ''Université de Genève'') is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin as a theological seminary. It remained focused on theology until the 17th centu ...

in 1872. Between 1875 and 1880, she served as chairperson of the Solidarité. She participated in the campaign to reform the civil code. In 1880, the Solidarité was dissolved. In 1886, she was elected to the board of the

International Abolitionist Federation The International Abolitionist Federation (IAF; french: Fédération abolitioniste internationale), founded in Liverpool in 1875, aimed to abolish state regulation of prostitution and fought the international traffic in women in prostitution. I ...

. In 1891, she was elected vice president of the newly founded ''

Union des femmes de Genève Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

''.

References

Helen Rappaport Helen F. Rappaport (née Ware; born June 1947), is a British author and former actress. She specialises in the Victorian era and revolutionary Russia. Early life and education Rappaport was born Helen Ware in Bromley, grew up near the River Med ...

, ''Encyclopedia of Women Social Reformers'' - Volume 1 2001 * Regula Ludi: Goegg (-Pouchoulin), Marie im Historischen Lexikon der Schweiz * Berta Rahm: Marie Goegg (geb. Pouchoulin). Mitbegründerin der Internationalen Liga für Frieden und Freiheit, Gründerin des Internationalen Frauenbundes, des Journal des femmes und der Solidarité. Ala, Schaffhausen 1993, . {{DEFAULTSORT:Goegg-Pouchoulin, Marie 1826 births 1899 deaths Swiss suffragists Swiss women's rights activists 19th-century Swiss women Politicians from Geneva