Gulsum Asfendiyarova facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gulsum Asfendiyarova
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| Асфендиярова Гүлсім Жафарқызы | |
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| Born | November 12, 1880 Tashkent
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| Died | November 1937 |
| Nationality | kazakh |
| Citizenship | Kazakhstan |
| Education | the Tashkent women's gymnasium (1890); Women's Medical Institute in St. Petersburg (1897) |
| Occupation | the first kazakh female doctor, a medical teacher |
| Parents |
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| Family | Asfendiyarov Sanjar (a brother) |
Gulsum Asfendiyarova (born November 12, 1880, in Tashkent – died November 1937, in Tashkent) was a very important person in the history of Kazakhstan. She was the first Kazakh woman to become a medical doctor. She also helped organize healthcare in the Turkestan region and taught others.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gulsum Asfendiyarova was the third daughter of Seitzhafar Asfendiyarov and Gulyandam. Her father was a military interpreter. Gulsum learned a lot at home when she was young.
In 1890, when she was ten years old, she started attending the Tashkent women's gymnasium. She finished her studies there in 1899.
Becoming a Doctor
In 1897, a special school opened in St. Petersburg. It was the first Women's Medical Institute in Europe. This school allowed women to get a higher education in medicine. Many people from the Turkestan region wanted their daughters to study there. However, it was very expensive because St. Petersburg was far away.
In 1902, two doctors who had graduated from this Institute came back to Turkestan. After this, the local government decided to offer 10 scholarships. These scholarships were for girls from the Turkestan region who wanted to study at the Institute. That same year, Gulsum Asfendiyarova and another Kazakh girl, Zeyneb Abdurakhmanova, received scholarships. They were among the first local women to get this chance.
Gulsum finished her studies in 1908. She then returned home to work. She and Zeyneb became the first female doctors from the local people in the area.
Medical Career and Achievements
After graduating, Gulsum Asfendiyarova wanted to work as a doctor in the Turkestan Military District. She wrote a letter to Emperor Nikolay II asking for a job in a village called Temirlanovka, near Shymkent.
Her request was approved quickly, in less than a month. On June 5, 1908, she officially started her new job.
Working in Rural Areas
Gulsum worked in Temirlanovka, helping about eight thousand people in the area. She earned a good salary and also received money for travel and other costs. She also got time off for holidays.
In 1910, Gulsum moved to work in another medical district called Papal, in Namangan County. The working conditions there were a bit easier.
Pioneering Surgery in Khiva
Around 1912, Gulsum received an offer to work in a new hospital in Khiva. She agreed, as long as her salary and benefits were the same as what she received in the Russian medical service.
In 1913, she started her job in Khiva as an obstetrician-assistant. This meant she helped with childbirth and other medical tasks. While working there, she did something amazing. She performed a Caesarean section, which was the first time this surgery had ever been done in that part of Asia. The small hospital in Khiva was very busy, seeing 3-4 thousand patients each month.
Return to Tashkent and Social Work
In 1914, Gulsum Asfendiyarova returned to Tashkent. With her father's help, she opened her own private hospital. It had 30 beds for patients.
Her father was very active in social and patriotic movements. He helped Gulsum get involved in these activities too. During the time of the February and October revolutions, Gulsum was in charge of a city maternity hospital. Because of her position and good reputation, she was chosen as a delegate in 1918. She attended the All-Russian Congress of Muslim women in Kazan and was elected to its organizing committee.
After returning to Tashkent, Gulsum continued to lead the city maternity hospital. She also took part in the political life of the city. She helped her brother, Sanjar Asfendiyarov, who was also a doctor. He later became the Minister of Health for the KazASSR. Together, they worked to help people who were hungry and homeless.
Teaching and Mentoring
In 1920, Gulsum Asfendiyarova started "women's obstetric courses." She had the support of the Muslim Bureau. She personally taught a course called "Physiology of pregnant women." Later, these courses became part of the Tashkent Medical College. Gulsum continued to teach there until she passed away.
From 1922, Gulsum also worked at the Children's City Hospital. Her assistant there was A. Doszhanova. A. Doszhanova was the first woman to graduate as a doctor from the East Asian University in Tashkent. Gulsum had known her from the Muslim women's organization in Kazan. This shows how women in the East continued to work for equal rights in different professions.
In the 1920s, Gulsum Asfendiyarova was chosen many times to be a member of the city Council. She also wrote in newspapers about improving social services and protecting mothers and children.
Later Life
Not much is known about Gulsum Asfendiyarova's later life. She passed away in Tashkent in 1937. The exact place where she was buried is not known.
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Gulsum Asfendiyarova
