The Anarchist Woman

At a time when the anarchist question is being discussed and passions both its partisans and adversaries, isn't it then appropriate, when a new anarchist newspaper appears, to say a few words about the role and action of women in the political movement ?

Many deny our right to take an interest in social questions, claiming to treat our pretensions as utopias and idiocies. Without doubt, many among us are not enlightened enough to take an interest in these subjects: the education that society gives women atrophies their intelligence so much that unless they are born into a specific milieu or endowed with great energy, they complacently accept their minuscule situation, without trying to shake the yoke. But a great number also claim our rights.

We are not speaking here about what the conventions call our civil rights; oh, what do we care about being inscribed on the electoral lists ? What do we need this right to a rotten institution which even men don't want anymore, and what a great privilege to help elect deputies to a Chamber that has seen its day !...

No, we want nothing but our spot in the sun, the right to live from our work, and our emancipation equal to that of man.

To obtain what we want, what do we need to do ? Walk with men, link our interests intimately to theirs and help them with all our strength in the energetic propaganda for the social Revolution.

The anarchist woman ! What a good subject of mockery for all those beautiful [censored in the police file] reactionaries or republicans in fashion today.

Well, yes, all those who suffer from bourgeois iniquities will be anarchists; the new generation we will educate, we, mothers of families, will be anarchist, because we will show our children the means to make disappear all that oppresses work.

MARGUERITE LELOUP.