Paule Lucie Marguerite Javouhey, better known as Marguerite Thibert, (1886–1982) was a French academic, advocate for

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

and an international civil servant. Thibert worked for the

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is one of the firs ...

(ILO), from 1926 onwards, engaged with numerous women's organizations, including the French Association for University Women (Association Française des Femmes Diplômées des Universités) and the Correspondence Committee on Women's Work and published many works on women's issues.

Personal life

Marguerite Thibert was born on 31 January 1886. She was born at home, in

Chalon-sur-Saône Chalon-sur-Saône (, literally ''Chalon on Saône'') is a city in the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefectu ...

, France, into a religious family which, in 1806, established the congregation of the

Sisters of St. Joseph The Sisters of St. Joseph, also known as the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, abbreviated CSJ or SSJ, is a Catholic religious congregation of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, in 1650. This congregation, named for Saint Jo ...

Cluny Abbey Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. The abbey was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style, with t ...

located in

Saône-et-Loire Saône-et-Loire (; Arpitan: ''Sona-et-Lêre'') is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in France. It is named after the rivers Saône and Loire, between which it lies, in the country's central-eastern part. Saône-et-Loire is B ...

, France. However, she later distanced herself from the church. She was the second of four siblings, born after Elise and before Marie and Pierre. Thibert did not like sharing many details about her private and personal life; many of the things historians know today are thanks to letters Thibert exchanged with friends, family and acquaintances. In 1912, she married George Thibert, and in the following year, the newlyweds welcomed their one and only daughter. The couple was only married for three years until George's death of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

in 1915. Thibert lived another 67 years before she died in 1982 at the age of 96. Throughout her career, Thibert travelled around the world, including extensive travels in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Canada and the United States. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in particular, she spent time working for the International Labour Organization in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, forcing her to leave her mother, daughter and grandchildren in France. However, her departure was delayed due to the birth of her grandson. Thibert spoke five languages (French, German, Italian, English and Spanish) which allowed her to actively engage with international key figures at the time, including the American Secretary of Labour

Frances Perkins Frances Perkins (born Fannie Coralie Perkins; April 10, 1880 – May 14, 1965) was an American workers-rights advocate who served as the fourth United States Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, the longest serving in that position. A member o ...

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

, Mexico's first female ambassador Palma Guillén and

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-senUsually known as Sun Zhongshan () in Chinese; also known by Names of Sun Yat-sen, several other names. (; 12 November 186612 March 1925) was a Chinese physician, revolutionary, statesman, and political philosopher who founded the Republ ...

's widow. Despite the vast amount of travel Thibert embarked on, she maintained close connections with her sister Marie and the rest of her family throughout her life.

Education

Thibert was part of the first generation of women to attend university in France. She was a student at

Sorbonne University Sorbonne University () is a public research university located in Paris, France. The institution's legacy reaches back to the Middle Ages in 1257 when Sorbonne College was established by Robert de Sorbon as a constituent college of the Unive ...

where she earned her PhD with her thesis titled "Le féminisme dans le socialisme français de 1830 à 1850" (''Feminism within French Socialism from 1830 to 1850''). Thibert was the 12th woman to receive a PhD in

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...

in France.

Professional life

International Labour Organization

Some of Thibert's most important professional achievements happened while working in the

. She joined the organisation in 1926 in

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, after finishing her PhD and being recommended by her supervisor

Célestin Bouglé Célestin Charles Alfred Bouglé (1 June 1870 – 25 January 1940) was a French philosopher and sociologist known for his role as one of Émile Durkheim's collaborators and a member of the '' L'Année Sociologique''. Life Bouglé was born in S ...

. Here, she was responsible for gathering information and writing reports on the conditions of women's and children's labour throughout the world. More specifically she worked on issues such as unequal pay and lack of maternity benefits. These issues also influenced Thibert's own professional life as she had to confront discrimination and tough working conditions within the ILO. Women within the ILO faced issues of obtaining permanent contracts, opportunities for promotion and

equal pay for equal work Equal pay for equal work is the concept of labour rights that individuals in the same workplace be given equal pay. It is most commonly used in the context of sexual discrimination, in relation to the gender pay gap. Equal pay relates to the fu ...

. Thibert continued to work well beyond the official

retirement age This article lists the statutory retirement age in different countries. In some contexts, the retirement age is the age at which a person is expected or required to cease work. It is usually the age at which such a person may be entitled to recei ...

of the ILO. She officially retired from the ILO in 1951 after a period of working under part-time contracts.

Mexico

Throughout her work with the ILO, Thibert took a special interest in Mexico. After attending the second American Conference on Labour (Las Conferencias Americanas del Trabajo), she spent time in Mexico observing and studying the labour conditions women and children faced in the country. In her own words, going to Mexico at the time was important because it was a country "where women's work is growing, and where, two years ago, a special organism within the Ministry of Labour was created, and seems to be very active to deal with the problems related to the work of women and minors." After her first trip, Thibert returned to Mexico in 1941 to continue her work. She was in Mexico during a time of plausible prosperity. From her observations, she published two works: "El aprendizaje en Mexico y su reglamentación eventual" (''Learning in Mexico and its Eventual Regulation''), where she reported on the conditions minors faced, such as low salary. She also published "Pequeños comerciantes y pequeños trabajadores callejeros" (''Young Merchants and Young Street Workers).''

Feminism

Thibert lived through an era of significant change for women. New work opportunities started to emerge for women in international institutions after 1919. This overlapped with Thibert's search for a career promotion. She managed to get employment at the ILO despite the lack of women's rights and opportunities of employment for women in France at the time. In addition to her career at the ILO, Thibert was a member of several national and international organisations that focused on women's rights such as equal wages and opportunities in the workplace. She also dedicated herself to these goals when she worked for the ILO where she uncovered the limited number of employment opportunities for women within the ILO. Moreover, she also fought for the prohibition of nighttime work for women in the organization. Her activism continued after her retirement from the ILO throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s. In 1965 she participated in the Women's Democratic Movement (''Mouvement Démocratique Féminine)'' together with

Colette Audry Colette Audry (6 July 1906 – 20 October 1990) was a French novelist, screenwriter, and critic. Audry was born in Orange, Vaucluse. She won the Prix Médicis for the autobiographical novel Derrière la baignoire (Behind the Bathtub). As a screen ...

, Madeleine Guilbert,

Gisèle Halimi Gisèle Halimi (born Zeiza Gisèle Élise Taïeb, ; 27 July 1927 – 28 July 2020) was a Tunisian-French lawyer, politician, essayist and feminist activist. Biography Zeiza Gisèle Élise Taïeb was born in La Goulette, Tunisia, on 27 July 192 ...

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, and

Évelyne Sullerot Évelyne Sullerot (née Hammel; 10 October 1924 – 31 March 2017) was a French feminist. She was the author of many feminist books. Early life Évelyne Sullerot was born on 10 October 1924 in Montrouge, France. She was raised in a Protestant f ...

. They advocated for the unification of

socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

and

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

. Thibert continued her political activism and fought for equal working rights for women and saw this as a crucial policy for any socialist party.

Correspondence Committee on Women's Work

Throughout her life as a feminist activist, Thibert had close ties to many feminist and women's organizations. In particular, she had close relations with Émilie Gourd and Anna Boschek who were members of the Correspondence Committee on Women's Work. During the late 1930s, Thibert contributed to the organization by ensuring that vast collections of documents did not disappear in the face of the rise of

fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

in Europe at the time. This included her own articles and reports, letters that she had received, copies of letters she had sent and archival treasures. These documents highlighted significant issues that otherwise could have been lost in the face of fascist ideology. Moreover, Thibert ensured and directed the development of an extensive network between the ILO and the committee during the 1930s. In addition, she developed relations between the committee and the governments of Canada and the United States during the years of World War II, when she was stationed in Montreal. She worked hard, together with members of the committee, to ensure that the political and social gains for women on the

home front Home front is an English language term with analogues in other languages. It is commonly used to describe the civilian populace of the nation at war as an active support system for their military. Civilians are traditionally uninvolved in com ...

would not disappear after the end of the war. In light of societal changes in Europe during the late 1930s, Thibert's views also evolved from

pacifism Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ...

anti-fascism Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...

. She was a popular woman at the time amongst the Jewish and Social Democratic women on the committee as she devoted herself to providing aid and assistance to victims of fascism in Europe. These included Emmy Freundlich,

Käthe Leichter Marianne Katharina "Käthe" Leichter (20 August 1895 in Vienna, Austria – February 1942) was an History of the Jews in Austria, Austrian Jewish economist, women's rights activist, journalist and politician. She was a member of the Social Democr ...

and

Fanni Blatny Fanni Blatny (22 March 1873 – 22 December 1949) was a Czech politician. In 1920, she was elected to the Chamber of Deputies of Czechoslovakia, becoming one of the first group of female parliamentarians in the country. Biography Blatny was born ...

. Thibert successfully managed to help Emmy Freundlich and Fanni Blatny to safety, but despite her efforts, Käthe Leichter was executed in the

Ravensbrück concentration camp Ravensbrück () was a Nazi concentration camp exclusively for women from 1939 to 1945, located in northern Germany, north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück (part of Fürstenberg/Havel). The camp memorial's estimated figure of 1 ...

in 1942.

Other engagements

Thibert became a member of the

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is a non-profit non-governmental organization working "to bring together women of different political views and philosophical and religious backgrounds determined to study and make kno ...

(WILPF) right after the end of World War II. She was also supported by other international women's organizations including the

International Council of Women The International Council of Women (ICW) is a women's organization working across national boundaries for the common cause of advocating women's rights, human rights for women. In March and April 1888, women leaders came together in Washington D.C ...

, the

International Alliance of Women The International Alliance of Women (IAW; , AIF) is an international non-governmental organization that works to promote women's rights and gender equality. It was historically the main international organization that campaigned for women's suff ...

and the

International Federation of University Women Graduate Women International (GWI), originally named the International Federation of University Women (IFUW), is an international organisation for women university graduates. IFUW was founded in 1919 following the First World War by both British and ...

. These institutions were essential in helping Thibert to Montreal despite her director's threat to suspend her contract.

French Association of University Women

Thibert joined the French Association of University Women (Association Française des Femmes Diplômées des Universités) in 1923 and she remained loyal to the organization throughout the rest of her life. The association became a crucial part in helping Thibert achieve a professional research career that would fulfill her personal goals and ambitions. However, despite this, Thibert did not hold back on the critique of the organization as she worked for a more aggressive activist approach.

Works

Despite her strong belief in women's rights and socialism, many of Thibert's works were often impersonal. As an ILO civil servant her work was kept anonymous with very limited reference to her personal sentiments. One example of her work is an article entitled "The Economic Depression and the Employment of Women: I" in which she examines issues of female unemployment from a global perspective. Thibert also authored an article in the French pacifist review "Peace by Law" (''La Paix par le Droit'') entitled "Emigration and International Peace" (''L'émigration et la paix internationale''). The goal of this paper was to create awareness around the issue of social protection of immigrants in France.

References

Bibliography

* Booris, Eileen, Dorothea Hoehtker and Susan Zimmermann. ''Women's ILO: Transnational Networks, Global Labour Standards and Gender Equity, 1919 to Present''. Leiden, Boston: Koninklijke Brill and International Labour Organization, 2018. * Chaperon, Sylvie. "Une génération d'intellectuelles dans le sillage de Simone de Beauvoir." ''Intellectuelles'', no. 13 (2001): 99–116. * Cross, Máire Fedelma. "Une traversée du siècle: Marguerite Thibert, Femme engagée et fonctionnaire internationale." ''French History'', Volume 32, Issue 2 (2018): 302–304. * Herrera León, Fabián. "Las Condiciones De Trabajo De Las Mujeres y De Los Menores Mexicanos: Los Viajes De Estudio De Marguerite Thibert (1939–1942)." ''EN-CLAVES Del Pensamiento'', no. 33 (2023): e551. * Janz, Oliver, and Daniel Schönpflug. ''Gender Histories in a Transnational Perspective: Networks, Biographies, Gender Orders''. New York, Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2014. * Mosconi, Nicole. "Françoise Thébaud, Une traversée du siècle. Marguerite Thibert, femme engagée et fonctionnaire internationale." ''Travail, Genre Et Sociétés'', no. 41 (2017): 189–193. * Thébaud, Françoise. Marguerite Thibert (1886–1982). In: ''Diplômées'', no. 272-273 (2020) Les Pionnières. p. 285–298. * Thébaud, Françoise. ''Une Traversée du Siècle: Marguerite Thibert, Femme engageé et fonctionnaire internationale''. Paris: Belin, 2017. Kindle. * Thibert, Marguerite. "The Economic Depression and the Employment of Women: I," ''International Labour Review'' 27, no. 4 (1933): 443–470.