Marie-Reine Guindorf

Marie-Reine Guindorf was a French feminist and socialist writer. She was co-editor of the first feminist newspaper, La Femme Libre, written and produced by women.

Activism

Marie-Reine Guindorf was a young laundry worker when she joined Saint-Simonism. She joined the activists around Claire Bazard. In August 1832, together with Désirée Véret, she founded La Femme libre in response to Barthélemy Prosper Enfantin's exclusion of women from decision-making among the Saint-Simonists. With the second issue, the journal was renamed L'Apostolat des femmes.
Other women joined them, such as Suzanne Voilquin, who became co-editor from No. 6 onwards. The women's group that supported the publication formed an association called La Femme Nouvelle. Guindorf, who became increasingly involved with Fourierism, eventually left the newspaper. Voilquin took over management of the publication and changed the title to La Tribune des femmes.

Personal life

Marie-Reine married the young Saint-Simonist Flichi after returning from a mission to the Mediterranean led by Émile Barrault. In 1835, she gave birth to a boy who was placed with a wet nurse. The couple were able to live in an apartment thanks to the generosity of Flichi's parents, who have received an unexpected inheritance. At the end of 1836, Suzanne Voilquin lived in the young couple's apartment in the Rue Montmorency in Paris for six weeks, until January 8, 1837.