Olympe de Gouges , The Declaration of the Rights of Woman ( September 1791 )
O n D e c e m b e r 5 , 1 9 3 4 , T u r k i s h w o m e n w e r e g i v e n t h e r i g h t t o v o t e a n d b e e l e c t e d u n d e r t h e l e a d e r s h i p o f t h e G r e a t L e a d e r M u s t a f a K e m a l A t a t ΓΌ r k . D e c e m b e r 5 , w h i c h h a s s i n c e b e e n c e l e b r a t e d a s I n t e r n a t i o n a l D a y o f W o m e n ' s R i g h t s , i s b a s e d o n t h e O l y m p e d e G o u g e s D e c l a r a t i o n o f t h e R i g h t s o f W o m e n a n d W o m e n C i t i z e n s i n 1 7 9 1 .
1 . Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights . Social distinctions may be based only on common utility .
2 . The purpose of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of woman and man . These rights are liberty , property , security , and especially resistance to oppression .
3 . The principle of all sovereignty rests essentially in the nation , which is but the reuniting of woman and man . No body and no individual may exercise authority which does not emanate expressly from the nation .
4 . Liberty and justice consist in restoring all that belongs to another ; hence the exercise of the natural rights of woman has no other limits than those that the perpetual tyranny of man opposes to them ; these limits must be reformed according to the laws of nature and reason .
5 . The laws of nature and reason prohibit all actions which are injurious to society . No hindrance should be put in the way of anything not prohibited by these wise and divine laws , nor may anyone be forced to do what they do not require .
6 . The law should be the expression of the general will . All citizenesses and citizens should take part , in person or by their representatives , in its formation . It must be the same for everyone . All citizenesses and citizens , being equal in its eyes , should be equally admissible to all public dignities , offices and employments , according to their ability , and with no other distinction than that of their virtues and talents .
7 . No woman is exempted ; she is indicted , arrested , and detained in the cases determined by the law . Women like men obey this rigorous law .
8 . Only strictly and obviously necessary punishments should be established by the law , and no one may be punished except by virtue of a law established and promulgated before the time of the offense , and legally applied to women .
9 . Any woman being declared guilty , all rigor is exercised by the law .
10 . No one should be disturbed for his fundamental opinions ; woman has the right to mount the scaffold , so she should have the right equally to mount the rostrum , provided that these manifestations do not trouble public order as established by law .