The Fondation Napoléon, together with its partners Le Figaro Histoire, the Institut Catholique de Vendée (ICES), the Institut Napoléon, and the editor Perrin, is organising a major conference devoted to a subject that has been largely overlooked: the place and role of women during the First Empire.
The fate of women during this period is generally addressed solely from the perspective of the Napoleonic Code, which is a very narrow view. The failure of women’s emancipation during the early years of the French Revolution has also overshadowed a period that was richer than it appears and for which there is a lack of research.
To better understand and explore the different facets of this important moment in women’s history, the conference ‘Being a Woman in Napoleonic times’, scheduled over two days, from Tuesday 18 to Wednesday 19 November 2025, aims first of all to shed light on the impact of legislation on the female population, from the Ancien Régime to the Napoleonic Code.
Social issues will then be addressed, focusing on the themes of health, violence and prostitution. Finally, presentations of emblematic personalities, from the sphere of politics, the arts and business, will illustrate a society both multifaceted as well as subtle.
The conference will be held in the INHA Auditorium, at 2 rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris (ground floor, east wing, level -1). ID must be show at the entrance. Extracts will be relayed on social media with the hashtag: #FemmesNapoléon2025.
