Celebrating Carolina Beatriz Ângelo

Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Belgium-based guest artist Fatinha Ramos, celebrates Portuguese physician and activist Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, who dedicated her life to the fight for the equal treatment of women and children. On this day in 1911, Ângelo found a loophole in Portuguese law that enabled her to cast her vote in the year’s elections of the Constituent Assembly, becoming the first female voter in the history of Portugal.

Born in Guarda, Portugal, on April 6, 1878, Carolina Beatriz Ângelo went on to receive her doctorate with a specialization in gynecology at the Lisbon Medical-Surgical School. Earnest and determined, she became the first woman to perform surgery at Lisbon’s São José Hospital, breaking down gender barriers with each cut and stitch.  The impact of her historic accomplishments was not limited to just the operating room.  

In 1906, she worked alongside the Portuguese Committee of the French Association, the first of many groups Ângelo collaborated with to help build a better Portugal. The following year, Ângelo joined forces with the Portuguese Group of Feminist Studies, where she worked closely with renowned figures of the nation’s burgeoning movement for gender equality. Her efforts to improve society peaked in 1911 when she founded the Portuguese Association of Feminist Propaganda, a key force in the fight for rights of Portuguese women and children. 

That same year,  Ângelo became the first woman to vote in the Portuguese parliamentary election. Although women’s suffrage wasn’t granted in Portugal until decades later, Ângelo’s formidable legacy of advocating for equality is felt at Portuguese ballot boxes to this day.

Thank you, Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, for the great strides you’ve made for a more equitable future. 

Guest Artist Q&A with Fatinha Ramos

Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Belgium-based guest artist Fatinha Ramos. Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:

Q. Was this topic meaningful to you personally?

A. Absolutely, because as an illustrator I feel I have a moral responsibility to address political and social issues in my artwork. The subject matter is essential for me, I must believe in it, feel it and be touched by it, in order to create an impact with my images. Illustrating with a cause, believing in the topic is so important for me. And this was the case.

Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle?

A. I was immediately excited about this. Carolina Beatriz Ângelo made history, and is an example of a suffragist fighting for the right of vote for women. It was an honor for me to make an illustration about her, related to my home country too.

Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? 

A. The inspiration came mainly from old photos of her, and doing research about her life.

Q. What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle?

A. Carolina Beatriz Ângelo was the only woman voting in that year, opening the doors years later for women being able to vote. This is why other women are also in the illustration trying to catch the ballots. I hope that by looking back on history that people see the value of what other people had to suffer and fight in order to open the doors for us. Voting in so many countries is nowadays undervalued, and actually is a basic right. I hope her story and my illustration can inspire people to have more respect for being able to vote and inspire other people to give a voice to those who need to be heard.

Early drafts of the Doodle below