Feminist Traditions | History Where does feminism come from? This article describes in brief the developement of feminism, starting in 1791, during the French Enlightenment, when Olympe de Gouges demanded human rights and civil rights for women. At this point they were still only granted to men. Later in the 19th and 20th century, similar early feminist ideas inspired women’s movements in numerous countries to push for the right to education, paid employment, and social equality.