-formed 27 august 1970 at the laying of the wreath at arc de triomphe statue of 'la soldat inconnu' for 'sa femme' who is even more unknown and unrecognised. on the same day, publication is released MLF annee zero - media references the movement as a further part of anglo-american women's lib movements, starts as liberation de la femme and becomes des femmes
-rejects hierarchy, authority and institutional patriarchy, doesn't claim to represent women but to work for them, doesn't seek alliances with political parties as it believes these collude in the oppression of women
-key aims: access to abortion, contraception, making rape illegal, sexism in advertising, violence against women
-Picq argues that MLF is l'heritier rebelle of may 68
-the movement is formed of merger between Feminin, masculine, avenir led by Zelensky and Feldmann and Combat de la liberation de la femme led by Fouque and Wittig. other radical left-wing groups join later
-group is well-received as most progressive, forward-thinking women could agree with their issues, not viewed as entirely radical at all times, could adopt certain elements of their work, making up for repression in the past
-in 1979 Fouque, Grumbach and Boisonnas register the MLF as an association and trademark the name, institutionalised, hierarchy, authority, unfair for publishing houses, against fluid roots, private property, this combined with arrival of socialism, achievement of free legal abortion leaves the movement in disaray