Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin
Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin
Born	24 May 1826 Geneva, Switzerland
Died	24 March 1899 Geneva, Switzerland
Nationality	Swiss

Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin (1826–1899) was a very important person in the fight for women's rights and peace in Switzerland. Many people call her the first feminist in Switzerland.

In 1868, she started an organization called the Association internationale des femmes (IAW). This was the first women's group in Switzerland. It was also the first international women's organization ever! Marie was a key leader in Europe, working hard for women to have equal rights and better education.

Marie's Early Life

Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin was born in Geneva, Switzerland. After finishing elementary school, she worked in her father's shop. Her father was a clock maker.

She got married in 1845 but later divorced in 1856. She then married Amand Goegg, who was a German revolutionary living away from his home country. They lived in London for a short time before coming back to Switzerland. Marie and Amand separated in 1874, but they never officially divorced.

Fighting for Peace and Women's Rights

In 1867, Marie went to a meeting in Geneva. It was for a new group called the International League for Peace and Freedom (ILPF). She noticed that not many women were involved. This made her want to do more.

The very next year, in 1868, she started her own group, the Association internationale des femmes (IAW). At another ILPF meeting in Bern that same year, Marie gave a public speech about women's rights.

The First International Women's Group

The IAW held its first meeting at the same ILPF congress. Its first big conference happened in 1870. This was a huge step! It was the first time women's rights groups from different countries worked together. This happened even before the International Council of Women was created in 1888.

The IAW helped groups that wanted women to have better education and be more involved in public life. Marie's group worked closely with the ILPF. The ILPF even added women's rights to its goals. Marie believed that women needed to be involved in public life for the ILPF to achieve its goal of peace. She also supported women getting the right to vote.

Marie's Work in Switzerland

In 1871, the IAW faced some problems because of its connection to a political event called the Paris Commune. Because of this, Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin stepped back from her role in the IAW.

After this, she focused more on women's rights specifically within Switzerland. In 1872, she started another group called the Association pour la défense de la Femme av droit (also known as Solidarité). She worked with another important Swiss women's rights leader, Julie von May (von Rued).

Opening Doors for Women

Thanks to a campaign started by Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin, women were allowed to attend the University of Geneva starting in 1872. This was a big victory for women's education!

Marie was the leader of the Solidarité group from 1875 to 1880. She also helped with efforts to change the country's civil code, which included laws about marriage and family. The Solidarité group ended in 1880.

Later, in 1886, Marie was chosen to be on the board of the International Abolitionist Federation. This group worked to end certain types of exploitation. In 1891, she became the vice president of a new group called the Union des femmes de Genève. Marie Goegg-Pouchoulin truly dedicated her life to making things better for women.