Marguerite Champendal | |
---|---|
Born | 2 June 1870 Petit-Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland |
Died | 25 October 1928 58) Geneva, Switzerland | (aged
Nationality | Swiss |
Occupation | Doctor |
Parents |
|
Marguerite Champendal (1870-1928) was the first woman from Geneva to obtain her doctorate in medicine at the University of Geneva (1900). She founded a center for distributing pasteurized milk for infants there, as well as an acclaimed nursing school. [1]
Champendal was born on 2 June 1870 in Petit-Saconnex a neighborhood in Geneva, Switzerland. She was the third child of pastor Jacques Henri Samuel Champendal and Christine Elisabeth Roch. [1]
She taught in Paris and Berlin, and then, against the will of her family, began medical studies in Geneva. In 1900 she became the first woman from that city to obtain a doctorate in medicine in 1900. [2] (While 34 other women also obtained a doctorate at the same time, none were from the city of Geneva.) Her doctoral thesis was titled, Des varices congénitales (Congenital varicose veins). [2]
In Geneva, she was a contemporary of Dr. Henriette Saloz-Joudra (1855–1928), who had earned her medical degree in 1883 at the University of Geneva and became the first woman to open her own private medical practice in the city. [3]
After graduation, she practiced in the popular districts of the city. [1]
Based on what she had seen during a previous visit to Paris, a project by Doctor Gaston Variot called the Drop of Milk (La Goutte de Lait), [4] Champendal created her own center in Geneva (by the same name) in 1901. There she arranged for the distribution of pasteurized milk for infants and as well as consultation services to help young mothers. [5] To further help the mothers, in 1916, she published the Little Manual for Mothers with guidance for women with babies. [1] [5]
In 1905, having already spent one and a half years tending to women giving birth, she formed the school of nursing, Le Bon Secours. [5] She directed the school until her early death in 1928. Champendal is remembered there as "a visionary and deeply modern woman." [6] [7]
She was a private doctor at the medical school from 1913 to 1919. [5] [8]
In 1918, Champendal earned professional status at the University of Geneva, the first woman to do so. [7]
Dr. Champendal died on 25 October 1928 in Geneva at 58, from a cardiac arrest. [4]
In Geneva, a street bears her name, Chemin Doctoresse Champendal. [1] [9]
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by French theologian John Calvin as a theological seminary. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for enlightenment scholarship. Today, it is the third largest university in Switzerland by number of students.
Emma Pieczynska-Reichenbach was a Swiss abolitionist and feminist born in Paris, France. She was orphaned at 5 years old, and grew up with foster families in Geneva and Neuchâtel. When she was old enough, she travelled to Paris, where she met and married the intellectual Stanislas Pieczynski. In 1875 she followed him to Poland. Horrified by the lack of education of women there, she began at once to teach reading and writing. In 1881 she turned back to help people in Switzerland. In Leukerbad she learned from the American doctor and suffragette Harriet Clisby, who familiarized her with the women's rights movement.
Denise Berthoud was born in Neuchâtel and was the third of Henri Berthoud and Marianne Perrier's five children. She was the sister of Raymonde Berthoud, granddaughter of Jean-Edouard Berthoud, great-niece of Louis Perrier and great-granddaughter of Louis-Daniel Perrier.
Virgile Rossel was a Swiss jurist, politician and writer. He was President of the Swiss National Council in 1909/1910 and President of the Federal Supreme Court 1929–1930.
Marguerite "Meggy"Frick-Cramer, born Renée-Marguerite Cramer, was a Swiss legal scholar, historian, and humanitarian activist. She was the first woman to sit on the governing body of an international organization, when she was made a member of the board of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 1918.
Isabelle Graesslé is a French born theologian, feminist and former museum director, based in Geneva.
Eugénie Droz was a Swiss romance scholar, editor publisher and writer, originally from the Suisse Romande. She created the Librairie Droz, a publisher and seller of academic books, at Paris in 1924, moving the business to Geneva at the end of the war.
Nelly Schreiber-Favre, was a Swiss lawyer who became the first sworn lawyer in Geneva. After co-founding the Swiss Association of University Women (ASFDU) with Mariette Schaetzel in 1924 on the advice of Émilie Gourd, she became its first president. Being Vice-President of the International Federation of University Women (1926-1932), she represented the latter in the Commission for Intellectual Co-operation of the League of Nations from 1939 to 1945.
Emma Kammacher was a Swiss human rights lawyer, activist and politician. She was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland and served as a member of the Grand Council of Geneva. In 1965 she became the first woman to serve as president of a Swiss cantonal council.
Laurence Deonna was a Swiss journalist, writer and photographer who in the late 1960s became a celebrated war reporter in the Middle-East. In 1987, on the basis of her articles, books and photographs promoting international understanding and improvements to the status of women, she was awarded the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education. Deonna published 12 widely translated books.
Henriette Saloz-Joudra (1855–1928) was a Russian-born physician, the first woman to open a private medical practice in Geneva, Switzerland.
Lorena Parini is a Swiss political scientist and gender studies scholar. She is a professor at the University of Geneva. She studies gender and politics, political discrimination against LGBT people, and the role and construction of social identities.
Isabelle Huot is a Canadian professional dietitian.
Lynn Bertholet is a transgender Swiss woman, bank executive and photomodel. She is also co-founder and chairperson of charity ÉPICÈNE, a volunteer public utility body which aims to welcome and support anyone facing transidentity issues.
Marguerite-Isabelle Naville was a Swiss artist, photographer and writer. After marrying the Egyptologist Édouard Naville in 1873, she accompanied him on 14 archaeological trips to Egypt, meticulously recording his finds in photographs and drawings. Her extensive diaries and correspondence provide detailed descriptions of life in Egypt at the turn of the 20th century.
Marguerite Augusta Gautier-van Berchem was a Swiss archaeologist and art historian from a patrician family, who specialised both in early Christian art and early Islamic art. She was also an active member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and was one of the first women to hold a senior position there.
Lucie Odier was a Swiss nurse from a Patrician family background. She became a leading expert at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for relief actions to civilians. As only the fourth female member of the ICRC's governing body Odier helped to pave the way towards gender equality in the organisation which itself has historically been a pioneer of international humanitarian law.
Renée Bordier was a Swiss nurse from a patrician family background. She became a leading expert at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for relief actions, especially during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). As only the fifth female member of the ICRC's governing body Bordier helped to pave the way towards gender equality in the organisation which itself has historically been a pioneer of international humanitarian law.
Françoise Thébaud is a French historian, professor emeritus of history, and specialist in the history of women. In 2017, she was awarded the Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur.
Yvette Z'Graggen was a Swiss writer and translator.