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The French Civil Code of 1804 was the first bourgeois law book based on principles of liberty, equality and security of personal property. Thanks to its systematic structure and clear language, it served as the model for law-making in modern times. Compared to other European codification and the customary law of its time with regard to women’s rights, however, the Napoleonic code, was characterized by rigid regulations reinforcing male dominance. In comparative study the author analyses specific issues in marriage and family law that profoundly influenced the daily lives and agency of women as well as the women’s movement. The question arises why French women, who, earlier than others proved themselves an avant-garde in the fight for women’s human rights, fell behind in Europe where only relatively late (first in 1944) did they achieve recognition as full citizens.