Dr. Elvira Rawson – Google Doodle celebrates Argentine women’s rights activist’s 155th birthday

Google Doodle celebrates the 155th birthday of Argentine militant suffragist and feminist Dr. Elvira Rawson de Dellepiane, a noticeable first-wave women’s activist in Argentina who was additionally one of the country’s first female doctors, on April 19, 2022.

Who was Dr. Elvira Rawson de Dellepiane?

Elvira Rawson de Dellepiane was born on 19 April 1867 in Junín, Argentina into the prestigious family of dean Gregorio Funes who was viewed as the father of the history of Argentina. She was the second woman to get a medical degree in Argentina. She was an activist for women’s and children’s rights and was known as “the mother of women’s rights in Argentina”.

Elvira Rawson was educated in Buenos Aires, receiving her university doctoral degree in medicine on 29 September 1892 from the University of Buenos Aires. Before this, she had gotten a certificate from the Ecole Normale de Mendoza in teaching after that she had worked as a teacher for one year before beginning her medical education.

A year earlier, Elvira Rawson married Doctor Manuel Dellepiane. Her doctoral thesis which got the recognition of Gregorio Araoz Alfaro, a famous doctor of Argentina, was “Notes on hygiene in women”. She had seven children.

After her graduation, Elvira Rawson began to practice medicine. She devotedly focused on many projects and promoted various activities, which included the establishment of the first school cafeteria in the country.

In her responsibility towards promoting the rights of women in Argentina, Dr. Elvira Rawson laid out the Centro Feminista in 1905, which was in this manner named the Centro Juana Manuela Gorriti. In 1910, she spearheaded the movement to establish a civil code for women.

In 1916, Dr. Elvira Rawson de Dellepiane was the organizer and director of the first vacation home for chronically sick ladies educators, the Vacation Colony in Uspallata. From 1907 to 1918, she was a medical inspector for the National Department of Hygiene (Departamento Nacional de Hygiene).

In 1919, Dr. Elvira Rawson founded the Asociación Pro-Derechos de la Mujer; Alfonsina Storni, the Argentine author, and numerous others were her partners in this work. She was one of the founders of the Association Pro-Derechos de la Mujer.

Dr. Elvira Rawson de Dellepiane served on the National Council of Education (Consejo Nacional de Educación) (1919-34). From 1920 to 1922, she served as a professor in hygiene and child care at the National Home for Military Orphans (1920-22).

Among Dr. Elvira Rawson’s career achievements are establishing the National Women’s Council, support in the First International Women’s Congress in 1910, which was held in Buenos Aires, promoting subjects of Sociology, Law, and Education, establishing the Maternal Center, known as “Juana Gorriti” (maternity home for unwed mothers) in 1910, establishing the Association for Women-rights in 1919, making the act of a “glass of milk” compulsory in schools, and writing many reports on the status and condition of women, and school households.

On April 19th, 2022, Google featured a Doodle on its homepage for celebrating Dr. Elvira Rawson’s 155th Birthday.

On account of her work and movements, women and children in Argentina have more opportunities. Today is a celebration of Dr. Elvira Rawson’s steadfast belief that a woman would be able and will achieve anything.