1935–1937: (La Voix des Femmes — the First Women’s Newspaper in Haiti — Unlike Her Father’s Campaign for Sovereignty Madeleine’s Concern for Women’s Rights S…

1935–1937: (La Voix des Femmes — the First Women’s Newspaper in Haiti — Unlike Her Father’s Campaign for Sovereignty Madeleine’s Concern for Women’s Rights Slow to Gain National Attention and Feminism Questioned as a Foreign Import, One Critic Declaring “Equality of the Sexes Is a Chimère — It Will Never Become a Reality,” To Combat the Discourse of Impossibility the LFAS Using Written Media — Establishing La Voix des Femmes in October 1935 the First Newspaper in Haiti with an Explicit Mission to Address Women’s Political and Intellectual Lives, By February 1936 Contributors Having a Firm Editorial Footing with Content Ranging from Political Editorials to International Affairs to Historical and Sociological Essays About Women, Ethnographic Research Providing Unprecedented Documentation of Women of All Classes — No Periodical Had Previously Shared Peasant Women’s Daily Lives with the Nation): Unlike her father’s campaign for national sovereignty, Madeleine’s concern for women’s rights was slow to gain the attention or concern of the nation. Among those who were aware, the movement was not understood or supported because some questioned feminism as a foreign import from Europe or North America. As one critic explained, equality of the sexes is a chimère — it will never become a reality. To combat the discourse of impossibility, the LFAS used written media to help the nation better understand their political concepts. The Sylvain sisters and other members documented their experiences, showcased their work, and disseminated their thoughts through the LFAS newspaper La Voix des Femmes. Established during a popular surge in print media, it was the first of its kind in Haiti — women had never operated and published a newspaper with an explicit mission to address women’s political and intellectual lives. From the first publication issued in October 1935, the newspaper was essential to the LFAS’s growth. By February 1936, contributors had a firm editorial footing, with content ranging from political editorials to articles about international affairs. The majority of the periodical included historical and sociological essays about women, and the ethnographic research printed in the newspaper provided unprecedented documentation of women of all classes. While Roumain and Price-Mars had written on peasant life, no periodical had previously shared peasant women’s daily lives with the nation. The newspaper exposed the country to the multiple life experiences of Haitian women and emphasized their shared experiences by joining their stories on the printed page.