Nelly Roussel
Nelly Roussel (January 5, 1878 – December 18, 1922) was a free thinker, anarchist, and feminist. As a Neo-Malthusian, feminist, she advocated for birth-control in European as well as a number of other pro-women and motherhood positions within Europe's capitalist systems.
Contents
Early life and family
Roussel was born in France to Louise Nel Roussel and Léon Roussel, though she discussed her father little in her work following his death in 1894. Shortly after her father's death, her mother remarried Antonin Montupet. Roussel also had a sister born in 1880, Andrée Roussel.
Advocacy and personal relationships
Roussel became the first feminist spokeswoman for birth control in Europe. She was a Neo-Malthusian. Members of the Neo-Malthusian movement, led by Paul Robin, believed that birth control held the answer to preventing natural disaster, poverty, and suffering by artificially regulating the population. She delivered her messages on birth control, motherhood, women's place in the capitalist system, and women's rights within the home through public lectures, journalism, and theatre. In a speech given on April 9, 1904, Roussel claimed she was fighting for "freedom in, for, or of motherhood". She had support, but political resistance to her message revealed conservative perceptions about gender among the French. She was a political activist.[1]
Roussel was married to Henri Godet, who was very involved in scheduling her work, though he did not travel with her. Though many of her speeches reference her lack of desire for children and active measures against having children, Roussel herself gave birth to three children. Mireille, a daughter born in 1899, André, son named for sister in1901, and Marcel, a son born in 1904. Roussel's first son, André, died shortly after his birth in 1902, leading to a deep depression for Roussel. When Roussel realized she was pregnant with her third child, she sought out a doctor to help ease the pain of labor. While anesthetics for child birth were ill-advised and not taught at the time, Roussel found Dr. Lucas, who was willing to work with her. Roussel was not aware prior to or at the time of her birth, that Lucas' methods led to the death of many women and children. Roussel and child, however, survived, and this led to a reanimation of Roussel's belief that science and society can create a pain free birth, liberate women from undesired pregnancies, and ease motherhood for women. Roussel was limitedly involved in the raising of her children, who loved with her parents and sister for much of their childhood.[1]
Later life and death
In the years following World War I, Roussel died from tuberculosis. She wanted to give women control over their own bodies and sexuality. Her radical position on women’s rights wasn't recognized for another seventy-five years. Roussel was a first-wave feminist. She spoke out about private and public issues.[1] Her papers are kept at Bibliothèque Marguerite Durand.[2]
Publications
Roussel contributed an essay to Le Néo-malthusisme est-il moral?
She also wrote a number of books, some of which were published posthumously:[2]
- Pourquoi elles vont à l'église: comédie en un acte, Paroles de combat et de paix, Quelques discours (1903),
- Quelques lances rompues pour nos libertés (1910),
- Paroles de combat et d'espoir (1919)
- Ma forêt (1920)
- Trois conférences (1930, published posthumously)
- Derniers combats (1932, posthumously published)
- L'eternelle sacrifiée (1979, posthumously published)
References
External links
- Works by or about Nelly Roussel in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Some of her texts available online (in French)
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