Marie Popelin 174th birthday谷歌标志标志

Marie Popelin 174th birthday谷歌标志
16 December 2020

Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Belgium-based guest artist Emilie Timmermans, celebrates Belgian educator and feminist icon Marie Popelin, the first woman to attain a law degree in the country. Despite her qualifications, she was denied admission to the bar on the basis of her gender, a result she challenged unsuccessfully in court. This injustice, which became known as the “Popelin Affair,” helped to energize Belgium’s burgeoning feminist movement, and Popelin became a leading pioneer in the struggle for gender equality.

Marie Popelin was born on this day in 1846 in Brussels, Belgium. She initially pursued a career in education and went on to teach at Belgium’s first secondary school for girls, Cours d’Education pour Jeunes Filles (Education Course for Young Girls). But at age 37, she had a change of heart and decided to study law instead.

Popelin broke new ground for women in Belgium when she graduated summa cum laude with a law degree from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in 1888. However, she was denied admittance to the bar association, preventing her from practicing law. Galvanized by her unjust exclusion, in 1892 Popelin co-founded the Ligue belge du droit des femmes (Belgian League for Women's Rights), the country’s first structured feminist organization. She traveled the world to support women’s rights and in 1905 established the Conseil National des Femmes Belges (National Council of Belgian Women), which served to unify feminist groups from across the country.

Thanks in no small part to Popelin’s tireless efforts, Belgium finally allowed women to practice law in 1922.

Happy birthday to a trailblazer who opened the door for generations of women in law.