ist ▁and ▁femin ist ▁activity ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁V alette ▁worked ▁as ▁an ▁un pa id ▁volunte er ▁labor ▁inspect or ▁in ▁the ▁Paris ▁region . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁forty ▁she ▁became ▁a ▁social ist ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁what ▁she ▁had ▁seen ▁of ▁factory ▁conditions . ▁She ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁G ues dist ▁study ▁group ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁represented ▁this ▁group ▁at ▁the ▁International ▁Social ist ▁Congress . ▁She ▁attended ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁international ▁con gress ▁in ▁Br uss els ▁as ▁a ▁confirmed ▁G ues dist . ▁On ▁ 2 9 ▁June ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁a ▁jud icial ▁separation ▁from ▁her ▁husband ▁was ▁pending . ▁She ▁was ▁ear ning ▁about ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁fran cs ▁a ▁year ▁from ▁la ▁J ourn ée ▁de ▁la ▁petit ▁men ag ere ▁and ▁from ▁teaching . ▁Her ▁husband , ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁Al ger ia , ▁had ▁been ▁ordered ▁to ▁pay ▁her ▁al im ony ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 ▁fran cs ▁a ▁month , ▁but ▁had ▁not ▁sent ▁her ▁anything . ▁She ▁had ▁two ▁children ▁aged ▁eight ▁and ▁ten ▁who , ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁a ▁court ▁order , ▁were ▁living ▁with ▁the ▁family ▁of ▁her ▁lawyer ▁at ▁S è v res . ▁ ▁V alette ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁women ▁such ▁as ▁Marie ▁Gu ill ot , ▁Sé ver ine , ▁Maria ▁V ér one ▁and ▁Marie ▁B onne v ial ▁who ▁campaign ed ▁for