Chauvinism in Sheep’s Clothing. A look at the women of the Enlightenment and how they have influenced us

When we think of the Enlightenment, we think of the demand for equality and emancipation. But did that also apply to women? The answer is ambivalent: on the one hand, we find a chauvinism pretending to be enlightened, on the other, strong women who carved out a place for themselves in society. On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2025, Harriet Merrow, project assistant on the exhibition “What is Enlightenment? Questions for the 18th Century”, focuses on the different roles of women in that era.