Clara González facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clara González
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| Born |
Clara González Carrillo
11 September 1898 |
| Died | 11 February 1990 (aged 91) Panama City, Panama
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| Nationality | Panamanian |
| Other names | Clara González Carrillo de Behringer |
| Occupation | lawyer, deputy, academic, feminist |
| Years active | 1921-1964 |
| Known for | First Panamanian woman to earn a law degree |
| Spouse(s) | Charles A. Behringer |
Clara González (1898–1990) was an important Panamanian woman. She was a lawyer, judge, and activist who fought for women's rights.
She made history by becoming the first Panamanian woman to earn a law degree in 1922. Clara also started the Partido Nacional Feminista (National Feminist Party) in 1922. This group worked to get women the right to vote and other important rights.
Clara worked with the Inter-American Commission of Women. She helped study the lives of women across North and South America. She also suggested ways to make things better for them. Clara kept fighting for women's rights in Panama for many years. After women could vote in 1945, she even ran for political office. Later, she became the first Panamanian woman to be a judge in a special court for young people. There, she helped create laws for children.
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Early Life and Education
Clara González Carrillo was born on September 11, 1898. Her hometown was Remedios in Chiriquí Province, Panama. Her father, David González, was from Spain. Her mother, Basilia Carrillo Sánchez, was of indigenous descent.
When Clara was very young, her family lived in Costa Rica. They were sent away from Panama between 1900 and 1904. Clara earned a teaching degree before she went to law school. While studying law, she also taught at a school called Escuela Manuel José Hurtado.
In 1922, Clara became the first Panamanian woman to get a law degree. For her final paper, she wrote about "Woman in Panamanian Law." This paper showed her early ideas about women's rights. At first, Clara was not allowed to practice law. But in 1925, President Belisario Porras changed the law. This allowed Clara to start her career as a lawyer.
Fighting for Women's Rights
Starting the Feminist Movement
Clara González wanted women to be more involved in politics. So, she and other women leaders started the Partido Nacional Feminista (National Women's Party). This happened in 1923, and the group became official in 1924. One of their first actions was to create the Escuela de Cultura Femenina. This "School of Feminine Culture" helped provide education for women in Panama.
In the early 1920s, Clara started to support groups that wanted social and economic fairness. She believed in equal rights for women, but also for all people. She spoke out about Panama's right to control its own land. She also connected women's issues in Latin America to the idea of countries being independent.
In 1927, Clara won a scholarship. She moved to the United States to study at New York University. She earned a special law degree there in 1929.
Working Across the Americas
In 1928, the Inter-American Commission of Women (IACW) was created. This group studied how women lived in different countries in North and South America. Clara González was chosen to represent Panama on this commission. She also worked on legal issues and women's rights in Washington, D.C.
From 1928 to 1930, Clara was the head of research for the IACW. She helped create reports about women's rights in many countries. These reports were used for international meetings and to help create new laws for women.
Clara returned to Panama in 1930. She became a professor at the National Institute. She taught subjects like economics and political science. She taught there until 1937. Later, she taught at the new University of Panama. There, she taught about crime, family law, and justice for young people.
Clara believed that fighting for women's rights meant looking at everyone's needs. This included their social class and background. In the 1930s, many groups worked together against fascism. This allowed Clara and other women to push for social and economic rights for women. She continued her work with the Partido Nacional Feminista. She worked against groups that supported ideas similar to fascism in Europe. Because she supported these ideas, some government officials thought she was a communist. They even stopped her from getting a government job. While she was not a communist, she did work with activists who were.
Later Political and Judiciary Career
In the early 1940s, Clara González kept working for women's rights in Panama. In 1943, she married Charles A. Behringer. He was an American engineer working in the Panama Canal Zone.
In 1945, women in Panama finally won the right to vote. This led Clara to get involved in elections. In December 1944, she started the Unión Nacional de Mujeres (National Women's Party). She ran for a position in the Constitutional Assembly in 1945. She also ran for vice-president of Panama, but she did not win either election. Clara kept working as a women's rights organizer. She worked with UNESCO on issues related to children. She also served as an official for the International Federation of Women Lawyers.
In 1951, Clara made history again. She became the first Panamanian woman to be a judge in a juvenile court. This job allowed her to help set rules for how young people who broke the law should be treated. She worked in the juvenile court until 1964. Then, she retired and moved to West Covina, California with her husband.
After her husband passed away in 1966, Clara returned to Panama. Clara González died in Panama City on February 11, 1990, after a hip surgery.
Legacy
A school for public prosecutors in Panama is named after Clara González. There is also an annual award given by the National Union of Lawyers. This award is given to a legal professional who has done great work fighting for women's or human rights.
See also
In Spanish: Clara González para niños
