Paulina Luisi
Encyclopedia
Paulina Luisi was a leader of the feminist movement
in the country of Uruguay
. In 1909, she was the first woman in the country to obtain a medical degree and was highly respected. She represented Uruguay in international women’s conferences and traveled throughout Europe
. She voiced her opinion on women's rights
, and in 1919, Paulina started the force for women's rights in Uruguay. By 1922, the Pan-American Conference of Women named Paulina Luisi an honorary vice president of the meeting and she continued to be an activist until Uruguay gave women the right to vote.
in 1875. Her mother, Maria Teresa Josefina Janicki was of Polish descent and her father, Angel Luisi was believed to have come from an Italian ancestry. Paulina Luisi was the first Uruguayan woman to receive a bachelor’s degree in 1899 and later the first female physician
and surgeon
that graduated from the Medicine School of the Universidad de la República (University of Uruguay, 1908). She was not only a physician but also a teacher
and the primary editor of the magazine
Acción Femenina. Throughout her career she held various positions and achieved more than any woman in her country had ever strived for.
. In her case, the main purpose of moral unity was to restrain the practice of prostitution
, to check the spread of venereal disease, to protect the future of the human race, and to elevate motherhood from the realm of lust to that of progenitor and guardian of the species (Luisi, 1950: 30-31, 55-56; 1948: 37-39 in Little 1975: 391).
Josephine Butler, a famous nineteenth century English moral reformer, had powerful influence on Luisi as well. Her fight against the Contagious Disease Act of 1864, and her founding of the International Abolitionist Federation in Geneva, Switzerland
to curb the white slave trade (Chataway, 1962, in Little, 1975: 391) served as a continual source of inspiration for Luisi (Luisi, 1948: 24-26, in Little 1975: 391). Luisi’s feminist ideas were primarily built upon other movements occurring around the twentieth century. While Luisi was still a student, Argentine liberal feminist Petrona Eyle wrote to her, in her capacity as president of the Universitarias Argentinas (Argentine Association of University Women, affiliated with the American Association of University Women, or AAUW), recruiting her to join the organization. In a letter dated 1 May 1907, Eyle encouraged Luisi and her female colleagues in the university to form a Uruguayan branch of the Universitarias, stating that “although there aren’t many of you now, you will always be the nucleus around which others will come together” (Ehrick, 410).
It appears that Luisi and others accepted this invitation and joined with their Argentine counterparts in 1907. Important also to Luisi’s insertion into Pan-American liberal feminist networks and in her propulsion to the leadership of still germinating Uruguayan liberal feminism was her participation in the Women’s Congress (Congreso Femenino) held in Buenos Aires in 1910 (Little 1975: 391). There she became acquainted with prominent Argentine feminists such as Alicia Moreau de Justo
and Cecilia Gierson (Drier, 1920 in Little 1975: 391). Organized by the Universitarias, the conference brought together more than 200 women, representing Argentina
, Uruguay
, Peru
, Paraguay
, and Chile
. It seems likely that it was at this conference that Luisi first came into contact with many of the leaders (or soon-to-be leaders) of liberal feminism in South America
, and where she would establish her contacts and friendships what would endure for decades afterwards (Ehrick, 410). Trips to Europe
brought her into contact with women such as Avril Saint Croix, president of the moral unity committee of the International Council of Women, and Jules Siegfried, president of the French National Council of Women (Acción femenina, 1917: 134 in Little 1975, 391)
Feminism
In 1917, Luisi published a definition of feminism in the magazine “Acción Femenina” stating:
…demonstrating that woman is something more than material created to serve and obey man like a slave, that she is more than a machine to produce children and care for the home; that women have feelings and intellect; that it is their mission to perpetuate the species and this must be done with more than the entrails and the breasts; it must be done with a mind and a heart prepared to be a mother and an educator; that she must be the man’s partner and counselor not hi slave (Acción femenina, 1917: 48 in Little 1975: 387)
as a government representative. She acted as Delegate of the Uruguayan Government to the Commission for the Protection of children and youth and for the fight against women and children trade. She was also a member of the Technical Commission and she was responsible of the examination of the women trade question. Besides being actively involved in government, Luisi was also involved in the classroom.
She worked as a teacher at the Teacher's Training College for Women and as an advocate reaching out for social hygiene related to the teaching profession. Her lectures and arguments were specifically designed to introduce prophylaxis as a subject within the teachers' training syllabus. A controversial aspect of Luisi’s moral reform platform was obligatory sex-health education programs in the public school system (Little 1975: 394). She suggested having these programs first introduced in the primary schools and then continuing on to the secondary level. She defined sex education as the pedagogic tool to teach the individual to subject sexual drives to the will of an instructed, conscientious, and responsible intellect (Luisi 1950: 82-83 in Little 1975: 394). Classes in sex education would emphasize the need for will power and self-discipline, regular moderate physical exercise to burn up sexual energy, and the desirability of avoiding sexually stimulating entertainments (Little 1975: 395). As opposed to sex education, health education classes would focus more on the scientific aspects of reproduction of the species
, natural history
, anatomy
, personal hygiene, and the prevention of venereal diseases (Little 1975: 395). Due to these suggestions, Luisi was called an anarchist and a revolutionary
. She was also accused of wanting to teach students how to become prostitutes. However, in 1944, her suggestions about sex-health education were finally incorporated into the Uruguayan public school system.
Luisi is also known for writing several papers addressed to students, as well as, to the general public which were included in magazines, brochures, and even in Congresses' acts. Some of these articles were: Prophylaxis of contagious diseases; Hygiene in human growth; Eugenics; Open air schools; Improvement of hereditary qualities, Social diseases; White slave trade and Regulations - a social disgrace; Regulations on prostitution; Fight against venereal diseases; Uruguayan women; Women and mothers' rights- 1919 International Convention of Washington. Her articles even reached the American nations and many of them dealt with issues involving women liberation. Through her inspiring writing, Luisi was able to become the founder and primary editor of the magazine "Acción Femenina" (Feminine Action), which was primarily focused on topics revolving around women. She was fondly appreciative towards poetry
and drama
. Luisi is also known for being the chief figure in starting the Movement of women's liberation in Uruguay. First in a practical way, by developing new domains of activity for women, and later by organizing the first feminist associations in the country. She founded the Consejo Nacional de Mujeres (National Women Council), the Alianza de Mujeres para los Derechos Femeninos (Women alliance for women's rights), and the Uruguayan and Argentine branches of the International Abolitionist Federation. The two first feminine trade unions that ever existed in Uruguay - "Unión de Telefonistas" (Telephone Operators Union) and the "Costureras de sastrerías" (Seamstresses from Tailor's shops) were created by Luisi, and thanks to their action, many benefits were obtained for their members.
As the secretary of the Abolitionist Committee of the River Plate, she made a significative contribution to reform the dispositions regulating prostitution in Buenos Aires. She not only organized but also chaired the University Women Association. In her later years, although retired from active life, she kept conscious of and attentive to social developments. At 65 years of age Paulina died in Montevideo. The Medicine School of Montevideo named one of the library pavilions of the Faculty after her.
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
in the country of Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. In 1909, she was the first woman in the country to obtain a medical degree and was highly respected. She represented Uruguay in international women’s conferences and traveled throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. She voiced her opinion on women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
, and in 1919, Paulina started the force for women's rights in Uruguay. By 1922, the Pan-American Conference of Women named Paulina Luisi an honorary vice president of the meeting and she continued to be an activist until Uruguay gave women the right to vote.
Overview
Paulina Luisi was born in ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in 1875. Her mother, Maria Teresa Josefina Janicki was of Polish descent and her father, Angel Luisi was believed to have come from an Italian ancestry. Paulina Luisi was the first Uruguayan woman to receive a bachelor’s degree in 1899 and later the first female physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
that graduated from the Medicine School of the Universidad de la República (University of Uruguay, 1908). She was not only a physician but also a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and the primary editor of the magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
Acción Femenina. Throughout her career she held various positions and achieved more than any woman in her country had ever strived for.
Inspirations
The primary figures that Paulina Luisi drew aspiration from and who provided her with undivided support were her parents Angel and Maria. Her mother Maria encouraged her daughter to pursue her dreams despite the social stigma placed on women at the time. Her father, Angel, an educator and socialist, instilled in her “an uncontainable desire for justice and liberty.” Thus, throughout her life, Luisi recognized herself as a socialist and her attention was mainly focused on getting people to practice moral unity. By this she meant that all people should be aware of their responsibilities in a societySociety
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
. In her case, the main purpose of moral unity was to restrain the practice of prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, to check the spread of venereal disease, to protect the future of the human race, and to elevate motherhood from the realm of lust to that of progenitor and guardian of the species (Luisi, 1950: 30-31, 55-56; 1948: 37-39 in Little 1975: 391).
Josephine Butler, a famous nineteenth century English moral reformer, had powerful influence on Luisi as well. Her fight against the Contagious Disease Act of 1864, and her founding of the International Abolitionist Federation in Geneva, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to curb the white slave trade (Chataway, 1962, in Little, 1975: 391) served as a continual source of inspiration for Luisi (Luisi, 1948: 24-26, in Little 1975: 391). Luisi’s feminist ideas were primarily built upon other movements occurring around the twentieth century. While Luisi was still a student, Argentine liberal feminist Petrona Eyle wrote to her, in her capacity as president of the Universitarias Argentinas (Argentine Association of University Women, affiliated with the American Association of University Women, or AAUW), recruiting her to join the organization. In a letter dated 1 May 1907, Eyle encouraged Luisi and her female colleagues in the university to form a Uruguayan branch of the Universitarias, stating that “although there aren’t many of you now, you will always be the nucleus around which others will come together” (Ehrick, 410).
It appears that Luisi and others accepted this invitation and joined with their Argentine counterparts in 1907. Important also to Luisi’s insertion into Pan-American liberal feminist networks and in her propulsion to the leadership of still germinating Uruguayan liberal feminism was her participation in the Women’s Congress (Congreso Femenino) held in Buenos Aires in 1910 (Little 1975: 391). There she became acquainted with prominent Argentine feminists such as Alicia Moreau de Justo
Alicia Moreau de Justo
Alicia Moreau de Justo was an Argentine physician, politician, pacifist and human rights activist.Born to French parents in London, United Kingdom, the Moreau family moved to Argentina while Alicia was still a child....
and Cecilia Gierson (Drier, 1920 in Little 1975: 391). Organized by the Universitarias, the conference brought together more than 200 women, representing Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. It seems likely that it was at this conference that Luisi first came into contact with many of the leaders (or soon-to-be leaders) of liberal feminism in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and where she would establish her contacts and friendships what would endure for decades afterwards (Ehrick, 410). Trips to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
brought her into contact with women such as Avril Saint Croix, president of the moral unity committee of the International Council of Women, and Jules Siegfried, president of the French National Council of Women (Acción femenina, 1917: 134 in Little 1975, 391)
Feminism
In 1917, Luisi published a definition of feminism in the magazine “Acción Femenina” stating:
…demonstrating that woman is something more than material created to serve and obey man like a slave, that she is more than a machine to produce children and care for the home; that women have feelings and intellect; that it is their mission to perpetuate the species and this must be done with more than the entrails and the breasts; it must be done with a mind and a heart prepared to be a mother and an educator; that she must be the man’s partner and counselor not hi slave (Acción femenina, 1917: 48 in Little 1975: 387)
Achievements and Involvements
Paulina Luisi was the first Latin American woman that participated in the League of NationsLeague of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
as a government representative. She acted as Delegate of the Uruguayan Government to the Commission for the Protection of children and youth and for the fight against women and children trade. She was also a member of the Technical Commission and she was responsible of the examination of the women trade question. Besides being actively involved in government, Luisi was also involved in the classroom.
She worked as a teacher at the Teacher's Training College for Women and as an advocate reaching out for social hygiene related to the teaching profession. Her lectures and arguments were specifically designed to introduce prophylaxis as a subject within the teachers' training syllabus. A controversial aspect of Luisi’s moral reform platform was obligatory sex-health education programs in the public school system (Little 1975: 394). She suggested having these programs first introduced in the primary schools and then continuing on to the secondary level. She defined sex education as the pedagogic tool to teach the individual to subject sexual drives to the will of an instructed, conscientious, and responsible intellect (Luisi 1950: 82-83 in Little 1975: 394). Classes in sex education would emphasize the need for will power and self-discipline, regular moderate physical exercise to burn up sexual energy, and the desirability of avoiding sexually stimulating entertainments (Little 1975: 395). As opposed to sex education, health education classes would focus more on the scientific aspects of reproduction of the species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
, personal hygiene, and the prevention of venereal diseases (Little 1975: 395). Due to these suggestions, Luisi was called an anarchist and a revolutionary
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
. She was also accused of wanting to teach students how to become prostitutes. However, in 1944, her suggestions about sex-health education were finally incorporated into the Uruguayan public school system.
Luisi is also known for writing several papers addressed to students, as well as, to the general public which were included in magazines, brochures, and even in Congresses' acts. Some of these articles were: Prophylaxis of contagious diseases; Hygiene in human growth; Eugenics; Open air schools; Improvement of hereditary qualities, Social diseases; White slave trade and Regulations - a social disgrace; Regulations on prostitution; Fight against venereal diseases; Uruguayan women; Women and mothers' rights- 1919 International Convention of Washington. Her articles even reached the American nations and many of them dealt with issues involving women liberation. Through her inspiring writing, Luisi was able to become the founder and primary editor of the magazine "Acción Femenina" (Feminine Action), which was primarily focused on topics revolving around women. She was fondly appreciative towards poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
. Luisi is also known for being the chief figure in starting the Movement of women's liberation in Uruguay. First in a practical way, by developing new domains of activity for women, and later by organizing the first feminist associations in the country. She founded the Consejo Nacional de Mujeres (National Women Council), the Alianza de Mujeres para los Derechos Femeninos (Women alliance for women's rights), and the Uruguayan and Argentine branches of the International Abolitionist Federation. The two first feminine trade unions that ever existed in Uruguay - "Unión de Telefonistas" (Telephone Operators Union) and the "Costureras de sastrerías" (Seamstresses from Tailor's shops) were created by Luisi, and thanks to their action, many benefits were obtained for their members.
As the secretary of the Abolitionist Committee of the River Plate, she made a significative contribution to reform the dispositions regulating prostitution in Buenos Aires. She not only organized but also chaired the University Women Association. In her later years, although retired from active life, she kept conscious of and attentive to social developments. At 65 years of age Paulina died in Montevideo. The Medicine School of Montevideo named one of the library pavilions of the Faculty after her.