Emily Stowe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emily Stowe
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Emily Howard Stowe
May 1, 1831 Norwich Township, Oxford County, Ontario
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| Died | April 30, 1903 (aged 71) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Education | New York Medical College for Women |
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Emily Howard Stowe (born May 1, 1831 – died April 30, 1903) was a brave Canadian doctor. She was the first woman doctor to practice medicine in Canada. She was also the second woman to get a medical license in the country. Emily Stowe was a strong supporter of women's rights and worked hard for women to get the right to vote. She helped start the movement for women's voting rights in Canada. She also fought for Canada to have its first medical school for women.
Early Life and Education
Emily Howard Jennings was born in Norwich Township, Ontario, Canada. Her parents, Hannah Howard and Solomon Jennings, were successful farmers. Emily's mother, Hannah, was a Quaker. Quakers believed in educating girls and letting women take part in their meetings.
Hannah taught Emily and her five sisters at home. She also taught them about using herbal remedies for health. After teaching in local schools for seven years, Emily wanted to go to college. In 1852, she tried to get into Victoria College but was turned away because she was a girl.
Emily then applied to the Toronto Normal School in Toronto. She got in and graduated with top honors in 1854. She became the principal of a public school in Brantford, Ontario. This made her the first woman to be a principal of a public school in Upper Canada. She taught there until she got married in 1856.
Becoming a Doctor
Emily married John Fiuscia Michael Heward Stowe in 1856. They had three children together. After their third child was born, her husband became very sick with tuberculosis. This made Emily even more interested in medicine. She had already learned about herbal and homeopathic medicine from her mother. Emily decided to stop teaching and become a doctor.
In 1865, Emily tried to get into the Toronto School of Medicine. The Vice Principal told her, "The doors of the University are not open to women and I trust they never will be." Since she couldn't study in Canada, Emily went to the New York Medical College for Women in the United States. She earned her medical degree there in 1867.
After getting her degree, Emily Stowe came back to Canada. She opened her own medical practice in Toronto. She focused on treating women and children. She became well-known by giving talks about women's health.
It was hard for doctors trained in other countries to get a license in Canada. In 1869, Emily tried to take classes at the University of Toronto to get her license, but she was refused. In 1871, she was finally allowed to attend classes at the Toronto School of Medicine. However, she faced unfriendly treatment from male teachers and students. She refused to take the final exams and left the school.
Emily Stowe continued to practice medicine for more than ten years without a license. Finally, on July 16, 1880, she received her medical license. She got it based on her experience and her earlier medical work. This made Emily Stowe the second woman in Canada to be a licensed doctor.
Her daughter, Augusta Stowe-Gullen, later became the first woman to earn a medical degree in Canada.
Fighting for Women's Rights
While studying in New York, Emily Stowe met Susan B. Anthony, a famous American women's rights leader. Emily learned about the fight for women's voting rights. She decided to bring these ideas back to Canada.
In 1876, Emily Stowe started the Toronto Women's Literary Club. This club later became the Canadian Women's Suffrage Association in 1883. Many people see Emily Stowe as the founder of the women's voting rights movement in Canada. The club worked to improve working conditions for women. It also pushed for schools in Toronto to accept women into higher education.
In 1883, a meeting of the Suffrage Association led to the creation of the Ontario Medical College for Women. This was a big step for women in medicine. In 1889, Emily became the first president of the Dominion Women's Enfranchisement Association. This was a national group dedicated to helping women get the right to vote. She remained president until she died.
Emily Stowe retired from medicine in 1893. In 1896, Emily and her daughter Augusta took part in a "mock parliament." In this play, women pretended to be in charge and considered a request from men to get the right to vote. Emily, playing the Attorney General, used the same arguments that Canadian Parliament had used against women. She denied the men's request, showing how unfair it was.
Emily Stowe died in 1903. This was 14 years before Canadian women finally won the right to vote.
Legacy
Dr. Emily Stowe was a true pioneer. She was the first female public school principal in Ontario. She was also the first woman doctor to practice medicine in Canada. She spent her life fighting for women's rights and helped start the Canadian Women's Suffrage Association.
Two elementary schools are named after her: Emily Stowe Public School in her hometown of Norwich Township, Ontario, and another in Courtice, Ontario. A women's shelter in Toronto is also named in her honor. In 2018, she was recognized in the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.
The Ontario Medical College for Women, which Emily helped create, closed in 1905. However, its clinic inspired the creation of a hospital run by women for women. In 1909, a group campaigned for a female-run hospital. This led to the Women's College Hospital and Dispensary in 1913. It started with seven beds and grew over the years. Today, Women's College Hospital is a major teaching hospital connected to the University of Toronto. It continues to work for fair healthcare and new ideas in medicine.
See also
In Spanish: Emily Stowe para niños
