Marie Popelin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marie Popelin
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Photograph portrait of Marie Popelin
|
|
| Born | 16 December 1846 |
| Died | 5 June 1913 (aged 66) Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium
|
| Occupation | lawyer, teacher, political campaigner |
| Known for | First woman to receive a law doctorate in Belgium |
Marie Popelin (born December 16, 1846 – died June 5, 1913) was a brave Belgian lawyer and an early feminist. A feminist is someone who believes in equal rights for women. Marie Popelin worked hard to improve education for girls and women.
In 1888, she became the first woman in Belgium to earn a law degree. Even though she had this degree, she was not allowed to become a lawyer. This didn't stop her! Marie Popelin became a leader in the Belgian League for Women's Rights. She fought for women's rights until she passed away in 1913.
Contents
Marie Popelin's Early Life
Marie Popelin was born on September 16, 1846. Her family lived in Schaerbeek, a town near Brussels, in Belgium. She came from a well-off family.
Marie and her sister Louise received a good education for their time. From 1864 to 1875, they taught at a school in Brussels. This school was run by Isabelle Gatti de Gamond, a famous teacher who supported women's rights.
Teaching Career and Challenges
After some disagreements, Marie and Louise moved to Mons. There, they started a new school for girls. They got help from the Liberal Party, a political group.
In 1882, Marie Popelin went back to Brussels. She became the head of a middle school in Laeken, a nearby town. However, she was removed from this job the very next year.
The "Popelin Affair"
When she was 37 years old, Marie Popelin decided to study law. She enrolled at the Free University of Brussels. In 1888, she finished her studies and earned her law degree. She was the first woman in Belgium to do this!
Why Marie Popelin Was Refused
After getting her degree, Marie Popelin wanted to become a lawyer. She applied to join the bar association. This group allows people to work as lawyers and argue cases in court.
However, her application was turned down. There was no specific law that said women could not be lawyers. But the courts still refused her.
Appeals and Public Attention
Marie Popelin did not give up. She appealed her case to the Court of Appeal in December 1888. When that failed, she appealed again to the highest court, the Court of Cassation, in November 1889.
She lost both appeals. But her fight, known as the "Popelin affair," became very famous. Newspapers in Belgium and other countries wrote about it.
Impact on Women's Rights
The "Popelin affair" showed people that just giving women access to higher education was not enough. Laws also needed to change. This case helped turn the focus from just educating women to fighting for their political rights in Belgium.
A French lawyer named Jeanne Chauvin was inspired by Marie Popelin's case. She also wanted to become a lawyer. With help from Marie's lawyer, Louis Frank, Jeanne Chauvin was sworn in as a lawyer in France in 1900. In Belgium, women were finally allowed to work as lawyers starting in 1922.
Marie Popelin's Political Work
Marie Popelin attended two important meetings about women's rights in Paris in 1889. In 1892, she helped create the Belgian League for the Rights of Women. She worked with other important women like Isala Van Diest and Léonie La Fontaine.
Building a Women's Movement
Marie Popelin was friends with an American feminist named May Wright Sewall. With Sewall's encouragement, Marie helped start the Belgian part of the International Council of Women in 1893.
Marie wanted to create a women's movement that was independent. She didn't want it to be tied to any specific political party, like the Catholic, Liberal, or Socialist parties. She had some success, but it was not easy.
In 1905, the National Council of Belgian Women was created. However, it only received limited support from the women's groups within the political parties.
Achievements and Goals
Even with these challenges, many of Marie Popelin's goals were achieved before she died in 1913. Laws were changed to improve women's lives.
However, two of her most important demands were not met during her lifetime. These were:
- The right for all adults to vote (universal adult suffrage).
- Equal access for women to professional jobs, like lawyers and doctors.
Marie Popelin played a central role in starting the women's rights movement in Belgium.
Remembering Marie Popelin
Marie Popelin has been honored in many ways in Belgium.
- In 1975, during the International Women's Year, she was featured on a Belgian postage stamp.
- In 2008, a road in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode was named after her.
- In 2011, Marie Popelin and Isala Van Diest (the first Belgian female doctor) were shown on a special Belgian two-euro coin. This coin celebrated the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.
- In 2005, a TV show in Belgium called De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian) asked people to vote for the greatest Belgian of all time. Marie Popelin was ranked 42nd.
- On December 16, 2020, Google celebrated her 174th birthday with a special Google Doodle on their homepage.
See also
In Spanish: Marie Popelin para niños
