Pionnière of the feminist movement

Woman of combat to the generous ideas, resulting from the enlightened and liberal Protestant middle-class of the XIX ^E century, Emilie Gourd marked Genevese and Swiss feminism. Holder in 1898 of a certificate of competence in literature section of the secondary and higher School of the young girls, Emilie Gourd attended the Faculty of Arts like listener and briefly taught the modern history at the private school of the Saint-Pierre Court.

In 1903, it was named secretary of the committee of the National alliance of the Swiss female companies. It was then president during 35 years of Genevese Association for the female vote and during 14 years of the Swiss Association of the same name. In 1912, it founded and assumed the drafting of monthly magazine “the feminist movement” (today “the Emilie”, the oldest European feminist newspaper still in life). In 1914, it founded and chaired the Sewing room of the Union of the women, created to get work with the women remained without resources because of the war, then it set up the Trust of social and moral hygiene. In 1923, it became international general secretary of Alliance for the vote of the women. She was moreover member corresponding of the special subcommittee for the studies on the female work of the International Labor Organization.

Journalist engaged, lecturer of talent and frightening polemist, Emilie Gourd put his feather and his word at the service of the cause of the women and asserted for them the political, social and economic equality. Its combat against the rise of the fascistic ideas and the Nazism since 1936, at the time of first drifts, made the honor of Switzerland during one period of its history which one discovered the dark aspects since then.

Emilie Gourd died without to have been able to gather the fruit of her efforts. The year even of its death, a cantonal poll refused for the third consecutive time the right to vote with the Genevese women. 1960 had to be waited until (and 1971 at the federal level) so that the dream of Emilie Gourd is carried out finally.