who was the first woman to stand for women rights?

Answer 1

I think if we're talking about someone who fought for WOMEN'S rights (as a group), rather than a woman who was herself a great leader or contributor to society (who 'showed what women can do'), we basically have to focus on the Modern era, specifically the late 18th century (time of the French Revolution and beyond)to the key formative period of "women's rights" movements in the mid-19th century.

My top candidates (in order):
Olympe de Gouges
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (or possibly Paulina W Davis)

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An overview and explanation:

1) Women in Mythology??
By definition these events did not happen! So a "mythlogical woman" is no woman at all! (so forget about "Lilith") And isn't this type of answer insulting to the REAL women who DID something?

Not much better is legend (e.g., Boudicca)-- real women, but uncertain stories of exactly what they did.

2) Ancient through medeival times?

One problem is that we often do not know much for sure about these women.

For instance, we know very little about Aspasia. She seemed to have made an important cultural impact. But 'the brains behind Athens' stuff is uncertain at best. See:
http://www.livius.org/as-at/aspasia/aspasia.html

But there's a more serious problem with ALL these candidates from ancient through medieval times. There are most certainly MANY examples throughout history of women who acted boldly, as strong leaders (including queens, military leaders [say your Joan of Arc or Deborah in the Bible], affected their society and were honored.

Again, some of these stories are mixed with legend. But whether their feats were legendary or real, I do not believe ANY in this list specifically "stood up for" or made a CAUSE of "women's rights" as such. This is a much more recent endeavor.

Note that these cases of women breaking barriers and accomplishing something great -- taking on leadership, etc.-- is noble and praiseworthy. But it is NOT the same thing as an individual's fighting for a whole GROUP that goes BEYOND her ("WOMEN'S rights). (Similarly, a slave might fight to gain his OWN freedom but we do not consider him a champion of slave-S, unless and until he tries to do something that assists OTHERS who are slaves.)

**3)Modern Era, and specifically taking a stand "for women"

(A) Beginning in the "revolutionary period" (late 18th century)
-Olympe de Gouges (Marie Gouze) who was involved in the French Revolution, and a strong advocate of HUMAN rights (including the anti-slavery cause) but was disappointed that women were overlooked in the "Declarations of the Rights of Man". She responded with her own "Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen" in 1791.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympe_de_Gouges

See a summary of her book:
http://www.pinn.net/~sunshine/book-sum/gouges.html

At the same time we have Mary Wollstonecraft in England writing "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" (1792). This work was much discussed, at least in certain circles (interesting example -- Aaron Burr, who believed strongly in the intellectual abilities of women, and raised his daughter Theodosia accordingly, was very much agreement with Wollstonecraft)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Wollstonecraft

Now these two women had less actual political influence or success in this area (and Wollstonecraft was certainly no political ACTIVIST), so if that's what we mean by "taking a stand" for women('s rights), you have to look at the female leaders in the mid 19th century reform movements. These groups actually began more by focusing on the temperance and anti-slavery causes (note how the larger cause of human rights, and the anti-slavery movement runs through this whole era). But concern with fuller legal and political freedoms for women became part or the whole, esp. in the 1850s.

(B) Since it was a movement MANY women were involved, and from very early on. Thus we ought not to short-change the contributions of women like Sojourner Truth (and her famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sojourner_Truth

or Susan B Anthony.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_B_Anthony

But probably the one we can credit with SPEARHEADING much of this (at least on the American side) is Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the "Seneca Falls Convention" of 1848.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_cady_stanton

Interestingly, Stanton herself deflected credit. She believed the real beginning of the Women's Suffrage movement should be dated to 1850, and that Paulina Davis, who called and presided over the National Convention that year, should receive the credit
http://www.assumption.edu/whw/old/NarrativeGuide.html
http://www.assumption.edu/whw/old/Davis_History.html

Answer 2

Elizabeth Cady Stanton at the first Women's Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York 1848. Stanton was the brains behind Susan B. Anthony. Stanton never got the full recognition of her contributions because she critisized the bible for keeping women in their place.

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Answer 4

Aspasia of Miletus, who was the brains behind making Athens a center of intellectual thought and development, hundreds of years before Cleopatra was on the the scene and thousands and thaosand of years before the American suffragettes.
If we are going to include mythological characters like Lilith, I would have to say Queen Maeve of Ulster in the ancient Irish epic The Brown Bull of Cuilange.

Answer 5

Soujourner Truth was a great orator (in spite of not being able to read or write because she was denied an education being born into slavery) who spoke out not only on behalf of African-Americans, but also in favor of women's rights and the rights of the poor. Some of her work on behalf of women's rights slightly pre-dates that of Susan B. Anthony. She also distinguished herself in 1827 by being the first black woman to sue a white man and win.

Answer 6

Probably a cavewoman somewhere. I do know that Abigail Adams had quite a few things to say about the fact that women's rights were not guaranteed in the Constitution.

Answer 7

1776 Abigail Adams

Answer 8

Rosa Parks

Answer 9

Wasn't it Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony?

Answer 10

Susan B. Anthony