Évelyne Sullerot (née Hammel; 10 October 1924 – 31 March 2017) was a French

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

. She was the author of many feminist books.

Early life

Évelyne Sullerot was born on 10 October 1924 in

Montrouge Montrouge () is a Communes of France, commune in the southern Parisian suburbs, located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. After a long period of decline, the population has increased agai ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. She was raised in a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

family. She was the daughter of André Hammel and Georgette Roustain. Her father, a doctor, made one of the first psychiatric clinics in France. He was Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. Her mother died of hunger and cold at Valence station in 1943. Both, very religiously committed to Protestantism socially and politically, were given the posthumous title of

Righteous Among the Nations Righteous Among the Nations ( ) is a title used by Yad Vashem to describe people who, for various reasons, made an effort to assist victims, mostly Jews, who were being persecuted and exterminated by Nazi Germany, Fascist Romania, Fascist Italy, ...

, for having saved eleven Jews during the German occupation. She also was the cousin of the resistant Elisabeth Rioux-Quintenelle and the great niece of one of the initiators of the feminist movement in France, Louise Massebiau-Compain. Hammel, during her year of philosophy, was arrested then judged in

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...

by the Vichy police force for "antinational propaganda and hostile remarks about the Head of the State" (Pétain). Returning to the German zone of occupation, she entered the

French Resistance The French Resistance ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...

, and joined the OCMJ (Military and Civilian Organization of Young People).

Career

In 1955, with the gynaecologist Marie-Andrée Weill-Halle, she co-founded Maternité Heureuse, an organisation to promote

birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...

. In 1967, at

Paris Nanterre University Paris Nanterre University (), formerly University of Paris West, Paris-X and commonly referred to as Nanterre, is a public research university based in Nanterre, Hauts-de-Seine, France, in the Paris metropolitan area. It is one of the most pres ...

, she created the first course in the world based on studies devoted to women: the place of women in political life, while passing by Sociology and Women in the Workplace. Sullerot was the author of many feminist books. She was awarded Commandeur de la

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

and Grand-Officier de l'

ordre national du Mérite The (; ) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's establishment was twofold: to replace the large number of ...

for her feminism.

Personal life and death

Sullerot had four children with her husband, François Sullerot. Sullerot died of cancer on 31 March 2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullerot, Evelyne 1924 births 2017 deaths People from Montrouge French Resistance members Commanders of the Legion of Honour Deaths from cancer in France 20th-century French writers 20th-century French women writers French feminist writers French socialist feminists