Karolina Olivia Widerström (10 December 1856 – 4 March 1949), was a Swedish medical doctor and gynecologist. She was the first female physician with a university education in her country. She was also a feminist and a politician, and engaged in the questions of sexual education and female suffrage. She was chairwoman of the National Association for Women's Suffrage and a member of the Stockholm city council.
Karolina Widerström
Karolina Widerström
Born
(1856-12-10)10 December 1856
Helsingborg, Sweden
Died
4 March 1949(1949-03-04) (aged 92)
Nationality
Swedish
Alma mater
Karolinska Institutet
Occupation(s)
doctor and gynecologist
Known for
the first female physician with a university education
Karolina Widerström was the daughter of the gymnastics teacher and veterinarian Otto Fredrik Widerström and Olivia Erika Dillén. The family moved to Stockholm in 1873. As an adult she lived together with educator and headmistress Maria Aspman (1865-1944).[1]
Educationedit
Women were officially admitted to the universities in Sweden in 1870. Her father wished for her to be a gymnastics teacher like himself. In 1873–1875, Karolina Widerström was a student at the Royal Central Gymnastics Institute, and in 1875–1877, she was the assistant to Professor Branting. She was also active as a physiotherapist. In 1879, she received a degree at Wallinska skolan and in 1880 a degree in medical philosophy at the university at Uppsala. In May 1884, she received a medical degree at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.
Medical careeredit
Widerström wanted women and girls to know more about their own bodies, to dress more healthily, and to receive the same rights and possibilities as men. She was especially active within gynecology and women's health. Her best-known work within her field was Kvinnohygien ('Women's hygiene'), which was first published in 1899, and reprinted in seven editions until 1932.
Activismedit
Concerned for women's health issued, she was a strong supporter of the Swedish Dress Reform Association and a vocal force in writing medical articles advocating against tight laced corsets, which at this point in time was a serious health issue.[2]
From about 1900, Widerström was active in the struggle to abolish the so-called reglementation of prostitutes, that is to say the forced registration and regular examination for venereal diseases of prostitutes, a system highly debated among women's rights activists at the time, which organized in the Svenska Federationen to oppose it.
Political engagementedit
Karolina Widström was elected to the Stockholm city council in 1912 for the liberals, where she served until 1915. She was elected chairwoman of the Swedish Society for Woman Suffrage in 1918, one year before the women suffrage was granted in Sweden in 1919, and became its last chairwoman when she stepped down after the organisation was dissolved in 1921, when the purpose of the organisation was fulfilled and both genders exercised the right to vote in the 1921 election.
See alsoedit
Charlotte Yhlen, first female Swedish physician who graduated from a university (though in this case, abroad)
Lundberg, Anna (2008). Läkarnas blanka vapen: svensk smittskyddslagstiftning i historiskt perspektiv. Läkarnas blanka vapen: svensk smittskyddslagstiftning i historiskt perspektiv. Sid. 85. ISBN978-91-85509-08-9
karolina, widerström, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, december, 2020, learn, when, remove, this, template, mes. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations December 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Karolina Olivia Widerstrom 10 December 1856 4 March 1949 was a Swedish medical doctor and gynecologist She was the first female physician with a university education in her country She was also a feminist and a politician and engaged in the questions of sexual education and female suffrage She was chairwoman of the National Association for Women s Suffrage and a member of the Stockholm city council Karolina WiderstromKarolina WiderstromBorn 1856 12 10 10 December 1856Helsingborg SwedenDied4 March 1949 1949 03 04 aged 92 NationalitySwedishAlma materKarolinska InstitutetOccupation s doctor and gynecologistKnown forthe first female physician with a university education Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Education 1 2 Medical career 1 3 Activism 1 4 Political engagement 2 See also 3 References 4 Sources 5 Further readingBiography edit nbsp Karolina WiderstromKarolina Widerstrom was the daughter of the gymnastics teacher and veterinarian Otto Fredrik Widerstrom and Olivia Erika Dillen The family moved to Stockholm in 1873 As an adult she lived together with educator and headmistress Maria Aspman 1865 1944 1 Education edit Women were officially admitted to the universities in Sweden in 1870 Her father wished for her to be a gymnastics teacher like himself In 1873 1875 Karolina Widerstrom was a student at the Royal Central Gymnastics Institute and in 1875 1877 she was the assistant to Professor Branting She was also active as a physiotherapist In 1879 she received a degree at Wallinska skolan and in 1880 a degree in medical philosophy at the university at Uppsala In May 1884 she received a medical degree at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm Medical career edit Widerstrom wanted women and girls to know more about their own bodies to dress more healthily and to receive the same rights and possibilities as men She was especially active within gynecology and women s health Her best known work within her field was Kvinnohygien Women s hygiene which was first published in 1899 and reprinted in seven editions until 1932 Activism edit Concerned for women s health issued she was a strong supporter of the Swedish Dress Reform Association and a vocal force in writing medical articles advocating against tight laced corsets which at this point in time was a serious health issue 2 From about 1900 Widerstrom was active in the struggle to abolish the so called reglementation of prostitutes that is to say the forced registration and regular examination for venereal diseases of prostitutes a system highly debated among women s rights activists at the time which organized in the Svenska Federationen to oppose it Political engagement edit Karolina Widstrom was elected to the Stockholm city council in 1912 for the liberals where she served until 1915 She was elected chairwoman of the Swedish Society for Woman Suffrage in 1918 one year before the women suffrage was granted in Sweden in 1919 and became its last chairwoman when she stepped down after the organisation was dissolved in 1921 when the purpose of the organisation was fulfilled and both genders exercised the right to vote in the 1921 election See also editCharlotte Yhlen first female Swedish physician who graduated from a university though in this case abroad Hedda Andersson second female physician in Sweden Emmy Rappe first educated Swedish nurse Astrid Bjorkman Sweden s first female chief physician and hospital manager Anna Stecksen first Swedish woman to defend a doctoral thesis in medicineReferences edit Blomberg E ed 2021 En qvinna lakare Doktor Karolina Widerstrom Stockholm ISBN 9789198548716 Bagerius Henric Korsettkriget modeslaveri och kvinnokamp vid forra sekelskiftet Forsta utgavan forsta tryckningen ISBN 978 91 27 15169 7 OCLC 1112090542Sources editLena Hammarberg Karolina Widerstrom sexualreformator och foreningskvinna Ny svensk historia Oscar II och hans tid 1872 1907 Erik Lindorm 1936 s 231 Sveriges befolkning 1890 CD ROM Riksarkivet 2003 Rostratt biografier Lundberg Anna 2008 Lakarnas blanka vapen svensk smittskyddslagstiftning i historiskt perspektiv Lakarnas blanka vapen svensk smittskyddslagstiftning i historiskt perspektiv Sid 85 ISBN 978 91 85509 08 9Further reading editKarolina Widerstrom at Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Karolina Widerstrom amp oldid 1186024735, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
