On Thursday, Google paid a tribute to Matilde Hidalgo with a doodle to mark her 130th birthday. She was the Ecuadorian doctor, poet and women’s rights activist, who fought for gender equality.
Born in Loja, Ecuador, on November 21, 1889, she was among the youngest of six children, who spoke about her desire to continue studying at high school, when girls were expected to finish their education by the age of 11.
Although she was granted permission to continue further studies, Hidalgo had to faced prejudices in her community. She was even expelled from her community.
Nevertheless, she continued studying and graduated with honors in 1913. She also became a poet and write about topics such as science, nature and love.
Hidalgo went on to study medicine and become the first female physician in Ecuador. After earning the medical degree, she entered into politics, became a women’s rights activist and fought for gender equality.
She was quite brave as she announced her intention to vote in the 1924 presidential election in Ecuador. She went on to add her name to the electoral roll.
The Ecuador government challenged her intention but she pointed out that the constitution did not mention gender as a voting requirement. Eventually, she was allowed to vote, making her the first woman to vote in Ecuador’s presidential election, making the country to grant women voting rights.
Hidalgo practiced medicine in Guayaquil until 1949 and received a scholarship to study Pediatrics, Neurology, and Dietetics in Argentina. She died in 1974 in her hometown. After her death, she was awarded the Medal of Merit and the Medal of Public Health by the government.
