author
Madame d' Héricourt
1809–1875
A sharp, fearless voice in 19th-century feminism, this French writer argued that women deserved the same intellectual and civic standing as men. Her work blends political conviction with the energy of someone who challenged her era head-on.
3 Audiobooks
About the author
Born Jeanne-Marie-Fabienne Poinsard in Besançon in 1809, Jenny d'Héricourt wrote under the name Madame d'Héricourt. She became known as a French feminist writer and activist, and she also worked as a medical doctor and midwife.
She is especially remembered for defending women's equality in public debates at a time when many influential writers argued the opposite. Her best-known work, La femme affranchie (Woman Emancipated), pushed back against claims of female inferiority and made a forceful case for women's education, independence, and civil rights.
D'Héricourt's life joined writing, reform, and practical work in medicine, which gives her books an unusually grounded feeling. She died in 1875, but her work still stands out for its clarity, courage, and determination to treat women as full human beings.