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ENTITY reports on cecilia griersonPhoto via Instagram/carecomicart

Here at ENTITY, we’re all about supporting powerful women, especially the first female doctor in Argentina. Thanks to her, women had more opportunities in the Argentinian workforce.

And for anyone who doesn’t know anyone this fantastic woman, meet Cecilia Grierson.

Here are five facts you should know about her.

1 She was the first woman to earn a medical degree in Argentina.

ENTITY reports on cecilia grierson

Photo via Instagram/federicolucrecia

Grierson was born in Buenos Aires on Nov. 22, 1859. She attended English and French schools in her hometown and she helped her mother teach at a country school after her father died.

She then attended Nº 1 Girls Normal School in Buenos Aires, where she graduated as a teacher. After teaching for years, she chose to go into medicine.

It wasn’t common for women to study medicine in Argentina at the time, so Grierson experienced plenty of prejudice and sexism along the way. Grierson attended medical school at a time when women only attended higher education to help them become better wives and mothers. Not to mention, it was deemed as inappropriate for women to touch human bodies. How could she become a doctor?

But despite the challenges she faced, she managed to prove her worth. She became a valuable asset in the medical field with her multiple contributions.

2 She created the idea of ambulance sirens.

Upon graduating, Grierson found out she can’t legally practice medicine as a woman. But she also didn’t let that stop her from making a mark on the world. While she was in school, she was a university laboratory assistant and she had a practicum in Public Health in multiple hospitals.

In 1885, she brought the idea of alarm bells, which are known as ambulance sirens today. In 1886, she also treated patients in the Isolation Unit during a cholera epidemic.

3 She founded the first Nurses’ school in Argentina.

ENTITY reports on cecilia grierson

Photo via Instagram/nuevasmananas

During this epidemic, Grierson saw an opportunity to make auxiliary medical staff into a profession. She introduced teaching nursing and founded the first Nurse’s school in Argentina, which led to the creation of the Nurses’ School of the Argentine Medical Circle. This was then renamed the Municipal Nursing School, “Dr. Cecilia Grierson.”

Grierson served as a director of the hospital until 1913.

4 She pioneered and founded multiple modern practices and societies.

She practiced kinesiology during a massage course she taught at the School of Medicine. Grierson continued to develop these ideas in her book, “Practical Massage.” This became a vital role in the creation of modern kinesiology. As a practical person, Grierson taught, wrote about and put into practice everything she learned. She also founded the Argentine First Aid Society and published a book on caring for accident victims. In addition, she taught classes in anatomy at the Academia de Bellas Artes.

Grierson also provided free psychological and learning consultations for children with special needs. She pioneered the education of blind and deaf mute children. Then, she founded the National Obstetrics Association and the Society for Domestic Economy.

She later traveled to Europe to study issues concerning women, including education, domestic economy and industrial schools. This led to the implementation of a curriculum in professional schools. She also introduced the study of childcare into schools.

5 And best of all? She was a feminist.

ENTITY reports on cecilia grierson

Photo via Instagram/canalencuentro

Due to all of the prejudices she faced while attaining her career, Grierson learned to fight for women’s rights. She was a vital part of Argentine Socialist Party and was a part of one of the first feminist groups that came from the international women’s emancipation movement.

Grierson fought for equality alongside other strong women by standing up against women’s exclusion from civic activity and lack of educational access. She then became the vice president of the International Council of Women, a suffragist organization held in London. This inspired her to found the Argentine Women’s Council, but it didn’t last long.

As views that men were more intelligent and rational than women started flowing through the group, the president of the group had a priest attend the meetings, which influenced the members to become more moderate and Catholic.

She didn’t back down, though. Alongside other university and professional women, they created the Association of Argentine University Women. The group gave moral support to professional women rather than trying to invoke social change.

Grierson also joined the Women’s Socialist Centre and chaired the First International Feminist Conference of Argentina. She led a long and hard fight for women’s equality in Argentina. And although Cecilia Grierson died on April 10, 1934 in Buenos Aires, she left a mark on the world that lives beyond her.

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