Isala Van Diest facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Isala Van Diest
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Photograph portrait of Isala Van Diest
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| Born | 7 May 1842 |
| Died | 9 February 1916 (aged 73) Knokke, Belgium
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| Nationality |  Belgium |
| Occupation | medical doctor |
Isala Van Diest (born May 7, 1842 – died February 9, 1916) was a very important Belgian woman. She was the first female medical doctor and the first woman to graduate from a university in Belgium.
Early Life and Education
Isala Van Diest was born in Leuven, Belgium, on May 7, 1842. Her father, Pierre Joseph Van Diest, was a surgeon. He was very open-minded for his time. Isala and her sisters received the same education as their brother. This was unusual for girls back then. Their mother also took them on a trip to England. There, they saw new and modern ideas.
At that time, high schools for girls did not exist in Belgium. So, Isala traveled to Bern, Switzerland, to get ready for university. She came back to Belgium in 1873. She tried to join the Medical Faculty at the Catholic University of Louvain. But the religious leaders said no. They told her to become a midwife instead. Isala refused this idea. She went back to Bern. Swiss universities were the first in Europe to accept women. This meant she could study medicine there. She finished her studies and graduated in 1879.
Her Career as a Doctor
After graduating, Isala Van Diest worked as a doctor for two years in England. Women doctors were allowed to practice medicine there since 1866. She worked at the New Hospital for Women. During this time, she met many British feminists. These were people who believed in equal rights for women.
She returned to Belgium again. To have her medical degree recognized, she had to take more courses. She studied at the Free University of Brussels. This university had started accepting women in 1880. It took a special rule, called a Royal Decree, in 1884 for her to open her own medical practice in Brussels.
Many of her patients were from the wealthier families in Brussels. But she also treated older people at a nursing home. Isala was a strong supporter of women's rights. She helped start the Belgian Women's Rights League (Ligue belge du droit des femmes). She did this with Marie Popelin. Marie was the first Belgian woman to get a law degree.
In 1902, Isala started losing her eyesight. She stopped working as a doctor. She moved to Knokke, where she spent her last years.
Death and Lasting Impact
Isala Van Diest died in Knokke, Belgium, on February 9, 1916. Isala Van Diest and Marie Popelin were honored together. Their faces appeared on a special 2 euro coin in 2011. The National Bank of Belgium made 5 million of these coins. They were released to celebrate 100 years of International Women's Day. This was the first time in Belgium that women who were not part of the royal family appeared on a Belgian coin.
