What if we could learn the story of 4 women and at the same time learn about Feminist Waves ?
That's how this month's theme for #todasextacomelas came about .
We will start with Christine de Pizan , a pre-feminist who predates the First Wave.
Historical Context
Feminism as an organized women's movement only emerged in the mid-19th century (1st Wave of Feminism), but, obviously, this does not mean that, before that, women did not challenge the status quo by proposing a more egalitarian world.
The story of Christine de Pizan is the story of a woman known for criticizing the misogyny present in the predominantly male literary world of the late Middle Ages, and defending the vital role of women in society .
Christine de Pizan was an Italian poet and philosopher who lived in France during the first half of the 15th century .
She was, in fact, the first French woman of letters to live off her work.
She was 4 years old when she moved to Paris with her family. Her father was the King's astrologer.
Suddenly everything changes
In 1380, she marries and has two sons and a daughter. However, her husband dies prematurely 9 years later and shortly after the death of her father.
This is a very significant event, since once widowed, she finds herself forced to find ways to support herself and her family.
In 1390, Cristina began to compose poetry, which gained her significant attention at court.
Author and Publisher
It is worth noting that in the medieval period, widowhood among aristocrats represented a state of great freedom for women, since they could decide not to marry again.
Thus, Christine became an author , editor and also directly involved in the making of her books: guiding copyists and artists on how to illustrate her manuscripts .
Anti-Misogynistic Works
Christine's notoriety as a writer came through her writings in response to the famous poem Roman de la rose (Romance of the Rose) , one of the most popular books in all of Europe in the 13th century , with a misogynistic tone, representing women as nothing more than seductresses, in a biting satire on the conventions of courtly love .
In her critique, she claims that the poem was unfounded and served only to denigrate the natural and proper function of female sexuality .
Because of this, she is still considered today to be a precursor of modern feminism .
City of Women Book
The Book of the City of Women, written in 1405, describes a utopian city made up of women, using virtuous women from all eras as examples. It can be read as a catalogue of illustrious women (or the #everyfridaywiththem of the Middle Ages 🤣 ) since it compiled more than 150 biographical accounts.
In this book, Pizan intended to provide sufficient evidence that feminine nature is compatible with the full use of reason .
She even redefines some myths , creating alternative versions for some of the distorted images of femininity present in literature.