Esther Chapa Tijerina's 118th Birthday

Google Dooles 22.10.2022 13:54  Date: October 22, 2022 Today’s Doodle celebrates the birthday of Esther Chapa Tijerina, a distinguished Mexican surgeon, professor and feminist who played a pivotal role in advancing women’s voting rights in Mexico. Tijerina was born on this day in 1904 in Tamaulipas. She went on to study medicine at one of Latin America’s leading institutions—the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Although Tijerina came of age in a privileged environment, she was aware of the challenges of disadvantaged groups. During her time in college, she would often advocate for a stronger safety net for underserved women and children. After graduating from medical school, she became one of the country’s few female surgeons and went on to teach microbiology at her alma mater. She later became Director of the National School of Nursing and Obstetrics, and president of the National School of Nursing. Tijerina galvanized Mexico’s feminist movement when she co-founded the Single Front Pro-Women's Rights group in 1935 with Mexico’s first female psychiatrist, Dr. Matilde Rodríguez Cabo . Also known as Frente Unico Pro-Derechos de la Mujer , the group advocated for lower taxes, electricity bills and rent prices for working-class women. It became Mexico’s largest women’s rights organization at the time. In 1936, Tijerina published a groundbreaking book, El derecho al voto para la mujer, which played a significant role in mobilizing Mexican women to join the suffrage movement. Happy 118th birthday, Esther Chapa Tijerina! Thank you for laying the foundation for the women’s suffrage movement in Mexico. Early Drafts Black and white drafts by Doodle artist, Helene Leroux Location: Tags: