Cécile Brunschvicg (), born Cécile Kahn (19 July 1877 in

Enghien-les-Bains Enghien-les-Bains () is a Communes of France, commune in the Departements of France, department of Val-d'Oise, France. It is located in the northern suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. Enghien-les-Bains is famous as a s ...

– 5 October 1946 in

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the ...

), was a French feminist politician. From the 1920s until her death she was regarded as "the ''grande dame'' of the

feminist movement The feminist movement, also known as the women's movement, refers to a series of social movements and political campaigns for Radical politics, radical and Liberalism, liberal reforms on women's issues created by inequality between men and wom ...

" in France. She was born into a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

middle-class, republican family. Her familial environment was not inclined to let women study, especially not when they were over 17. Already a "liberated" woman (for the time), it was her meeting, and subsequent marriage to, Léon Brunschvicg, a feminist philosopher and member of the

Ligue des droits de l'homme The Human Rights League ( '' t du citoyen' or LDH) is a human rights non-governmental organisation, NGO association whose mission includes to observe, human rights defender, defend and promulgate human rights within the French Republic in al ...

, that spurred her to

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 ...

activism; she became vice-president of the League of Electors for women's suffrage. The

French Union for Women's Suffrage The French Union for Women's Suffrage (UFSF: ) was a French feminist organization formed in 1909 that fought for the right of women to vote, which was eventually granted in 1945. The Union took a moderate approach, advocating staged introduction o ...

(UFSF: ''Union française pour le suffrage des femmes'') was founded by a group of feminists who had attended a national congress of French feminists in Paris in 1908, led by

Jeanne Schmahl Jeanne Elizabeth Schmahl (née Archer; 1846–1915) was a French feminist, born in Britain. She married a well-off husband who supported her while she worked as a midwife's assistant in Paris. She decided to avoid politics and religion and to fo ...

and Jane Misme. The UFSF provided a less militant and more widely acceptable alternative to the ''Suffrage des femmes'' of

Hubertine Auclert Hubertine Auclert (; 10 April 1848 – 4 August 1914) was a leading French feminist and a campaigner for women's suffrage. Early life Born in the Allier '' département'' in the Auvergne area of France into a middle-class family, Hubertine Aucl ...

(1848–1914). The sole objective was to obtain women's suffrage through legal approaches. The founding meeting of 300 women was held in February 1909. Cécile Brunschvicg was made secretary-general. Schmahl was the first president.

Eliska Vincent Eliska Vincent (née Eliska Girard 1841–1914) was a Utopia, Utopian Socialism, socialist and militant Feminism, feminist in France. She argued that women had lost civil rights that existed in the Middle Ages, and these should be restored. In the ...

accepted the position of honorary vice-president. The UFSF was formally recognized by the

International Woman Suffrage Alliance The International Alliance of Women (IAW; , AIF) is an international non-governmental organization that works to promote women's rights and gender equality. It was historically the main international organization that campaigned for women's suff ...

(IWFA) congress in London in April 1909 as representing the French suffrage movement. In 1926, she became the editor of ''La Française''. Cécile Brunschvicg was named

Undersecretary of State Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is a ...

for national education in the first

Léon Blum André Léon Blum (; 9 April 1872 – 30 March 1950) was a French socialist politician and three-time Prime Minister of France. As a Jew, he was heavily influenced by the Dreyfus affair of the late 19th century. He was a disciple of socialist l ...

government.

Notes

Sources

* * * *
Biography at the University of Angers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brunschvicg, Cecile 1877 births 1946 deaths Jewish feminists People from Enghien-les-Bains 20th-century French Jews Radical Party (France) politicians French feminists Secretaries of State of France French women in World War I French suffragists Women government ministers of France 20th-century French politicians 20th-century French women politicians Jewish suffragists Women's International Democratic Federation people 19th-century feminists