Colette Reynaud (1872–1965) was a French feminist, socialist and pacifist journalist. In 1917, she was the co-founder and director of the weekly newspaper '' La Voix des femmes'' (Women's voice).

Career

Together with Louise Bodin, Reynaud founded the newspaper ''La Voix des femmes'' on October 31, 1917, to promote

women's right to vote Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

. Reynaud managed the newspaper while Bodin assumed the role of

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...

, attracting the participation of celebrities such as Séverine, Madeleine Pelletier,

Hélène Brion Hélène Brion (27 January 1882 – 31 August 1962) was a French teacher, feminist, socialist and communist. She was one of the leaders of the French teachers' union. During World War I (1914–18) she was arrested for distributing pacifist propag ...

Henri Barbusse Henri Barbusse (; 17 May 1873 – 30 August 1935) was a French novelist, short story writer, journalist, poet and political activist. He began his literary career in the 1890s as a Symbolist poet and continued as a neo-Naturalist novelist; i ...

, and

Marcel Cachin Marcel Cachin (20 September 1869 – 12 February 1958) was a French Communist politician and editor of the daily newspaper ''L'Humanite''. Political career In 1891, Cachin joined Jules Guesde's French Workers' Party (POF). In 1905, he joine ...

. The newspaper was launched in the middle of the

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in a context of repression, symbolized in November 1917 by the arrest of the teacher

, accused of defeatist

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...

. From December 1, 1922, Reynaud attempted to publish the newspaper on a daily basis, with Noëlie Drous as editor-in-chief, but quickly gave up such frequency. It continued to appear until 1937. In 1930,

Marguerite Durand Marguerite Durand (24 January 1864 – 16 March 1936) was a French stage actress, journalist, and a leading suffragette. She founded her own newspaper, and ran for election. She is also known for having a pet lion. The Bibliothèque Margueri ...

referred to Reynaud as one of the "remarkable professionals" of women's journalism of her day, noting that she kept more to a management than to an editorial role.Durand, Marguerite and Magnin, Michèle C., "Les Femmes dans le journalisme" (1930). ''Tome 3''. 4. https://digital.sandiego.edu/durand-tome3/4 The historian of socialism, Julien Chuzeville, thought that Reynaud was probably a member of the

French Section of the Workers' International The French Section of the Workers' International (, SFIO) was a major socialist political party in France which was founded in 1905 and succeeded in 1969 by the present Socialist Party. The SFIO was founded in 1905 as the French representativ ...

(SFIO) when she joined the committee of the Third Communist International, adding that she undoubtedly was a member of the

French Communist Party The French Communist Party (, , PCF) is a Communism, communist list of political parties in France, party in France. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its Member of the European Parliament, MEPs sit with The Left in the ...

when it split in 1920. In October 1920, Reynaud also joined the Action Committee for the release of imprisoned militants, notably

Fernand Loriot Fernand Loriot (; 10 October 1870 – 12 October 1932) was a French teacher who was active in forming the teachers' union. He took a pacifist stance during World War I. He was one of the founders of the French Communist Party. Early years Loriot ...

, Boris Souvarine, and

Pierre Monatte Pierre Monatte (15 January 188127 June 1960) was a French trade unionist, a founder of the '' Confédération générale du travail'' (CGT, General Confederation of Labour) at the beginning of the 20th century, and founder of its journal '' La V ...

. After the war, Reynaud became a member of the committee of the French branch of the Women's League Against War, then served as secretary of the (People's Union for Universal Peace). In 1926, she co-founded the (Women's Action League) to push for the immediate acceptance of women's suffrage under the leadership of Marthe Bray.

Personal life

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

, Reynaud was a member of the lodge

Le Droit Humain The International Order of Freemasonry ''Le Droit Humain'' is a global Masonic order, membership of which is available to men and women on equal terms, regardless of nationality, religion or ethnicity. This practice is known as Co-Freemasonry ...

, and of the fraternal association of journalists, where she associated with

Camille Chautemps Camille Chautemps (; 1 February 1885 – 1 July 1963) was a French Radical politician of the Third Republic, three times President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister). He was the father-in-law of U.S. politician and statesman Howar ...

, Marcel Huart, Aristide Quillet, and Alexandre Varenne. Married to a doctor, Reynaud was the mother of two children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynaud, Colette 1872 births 1965 deaths 20th-century newspaper founders 20th-century French journalists French feminist writers French socialist feminists French pacifists French newspaper founders French Freemasons French suffragists