Domitila de Carvalho

KEYWORDS: Domitila de Carvalho, University of Coimbra, National Assembly, D. Maria Pia High School

SHE THOUGHT IT

Domitila Hormizinda Miranda de Carvalho was the first woman to attend the University of Coimbra, where she graduated in Mathematics (1894), Philosophy (1895) and Medicine (1904). These achievements earned her numerous laudatory references in the press of the time, especially because it was extremely promising for other women who wanted to follow her footsteps (Carvalho, 2011: p.1).After graduating from university, she started to practice medicine in Lisbon, and became a member of the National Assistance for Tuberculosis. She was also a teacher at the D. Maria Pia School, the first secondary school in Portugal attended exclusively by female students, becoming the first Portuguese woman to teach this discipline. In 1935,she became one of the first three Portuguese female members of the National Assembly. Despite fighting hard for the rights of “mothers,” she never had children or got married. Her interventions in the National Assembly were mainly concerned with educational reform, social assistance, the health system and the rights of women. She made several parliamentary speeches during her mandates, notably regarding the proposal of the bill on the introduction of hygiene and childcare education in female high schools and secondary schools (Arquivo Histórico Parlamentar: Projecto de Lei nº 044/I). She was also concerned with the high infant mortality rate in Portugal.

Although her ideological position was conservative, she became associated with women from other political and philosophical fields in feminist initiatives for the pacifist cause. She joined the Feminist Section of the Portuguese League for Peace (Secção Feminista da Liga Portuguesa da Paz) and was a member of the Portuguese Committee of the French La Paix et le Désarmementpar les Femmes. In 1909, she supported the approval of the divorce law, defended by the Portuguese Women’s Republican League.

In addition to her teaching and medical activities,she also devoted herself to writing, publishing works such as Versos (1909), Terra de Amores (1924), Maria Amália Vaz de Carvalho (1930) e Para o Alto (1957).   

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Domitila de Carvalho

Domitila Hormizinda Miranda de Carvalho was born in Travanca da Feira (Aveiro), Portugal on April 10, 1871. Her father, Manuel Rodrigues de Carvalho, was a primary school teacher, who died when she was only one year old, leaving her mother D. Margarida Miranda de Carvalho with three little children.

Domitila de Carvalho studied in Castelo Branco, where she attended high school, and continued her education at Bragança and Leiria high schools. After completing high school with excellent grades in 1891, she was admitted at the University of Coimbra in October of  the same year. As a condition of admission, she was required by the dean’s orders to always dress in black, wear a discreet hat, and generally have a sober demeanor so that she wouldn’t  stand out among her male colleagues, who then all dressed in cape and buttoned cassock (Gomes, 1991: 41).She became the first woman to attend the University of Coimbra, where she graduated in Mathematics (1894), Philosophy (1895) and Medicine (1904).

After graduating in 1904, she started to practice medicine at the National Tuberculosis Assistance in Lisbon and worked at the Maternal and Child Center. By working as a doctor, Domitila realized how many children could have been saved if their mothers had notions of hygiene and had been able to properly care for them. Later, as a member of the National Assembly, she would be responsible for integrating the Hygiene and Childcare discipline into the high school curriculum.

Between 1906 and 1912, she was dean at the D. Maria Pia High School, the first secondary school instituted in Portugal attended exclusively by female students, where she also served as a mathematics teacher, becoming the first Portuguese woman to teach this subject. Until her retirement, she continued to teach Mathematics at the same High School, which changed its name to Almeida Garrett High School in 1917, and later to Maria Amália Vaz de Carvalho High School. She knew the importance of education to the empowerment of women.She believed that women “must devote themselves to study and make the most of it to be respected as the intelligent and free beings they are” (Carvalho, 1906: 13); she also believed it to be an act of justice to give women the opportunity to demonstrate that they had qualities and willingness to study just as men had.Domitila knew that society was not yet ready to accept women’s financial and professional independence. However, she never doubted that education would provide opportunities to women to make their way to freedom and independence. Domitila wished that young students could pursue their studies and pursue a profession, in the same way she had done. She never married or had children; however, this did not prevent her from becoming interested in children’s issues and family issues.

She was a correspondent member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences, a member of the Higher Council of Public Instruction and a member of the Portuguese Catholic Doctors’ organization. She also belonged to other organizations linked to the Catholic Church and charities.

Although her ideological position was conservative, she became associated with women from other political and philosophical fields in feminist initiatives for the pacifist cause. Thus, in 1906, she joined the Feminist Section of the Portuguese League for Peace (Secção Feminista da Liga Portuguesa da Paz) and was a member of the Portuguese Committee of the French La Paix et le Désarmement par les Femmes. In 1909,despite being a conservative Catholic woman and believing in the indissolubility of the sacrament, Domitila de Carvalho, based on her principles of freedom and justice, decided to sign the list supporting the approval of the divorce lawdefended by the Portuguese women’s Republican League. (Carvalho, 2009: 104-105). She embraced the pacifist cause and defended the emancipation of women through education.She was part of a group of writers, doctors and teachers who wereinterested in playing an intervening role in society.

D. Domitila Hormizinda Miranda de Carvalho, António Almeida Pinto da Mota, D. Maria Candida Parreira, D. Maria Baptista dos Santos Guardiola

In 1935, together with Maria Baptista Guardiola and Maria Cândida Parreira, Domitila de Carvalho became one of the first three Portuguese female members to be elected at the National Assembly. Despite fighting hard for the rights of “mothers,” none of them had children or dedicated their lives to family. They all had a higher academic degree and invested in their careers, thus standing as a contradictory example of what the regime asked women to do. Domitila de Carvalho served in two legislatures (1934-1938 and 1938-1941) and her performance in the National Assembly was mainly concerned with the educational reform and the healthcare system. She made several parliamentary speeches during her mandates, notably for the proposal of the bill for the introduction of hygiene and childcare education in female high schools and secondary schools.

In 1936, she held the position of member of the board of the Work of Mothers for National Education (Obra das Mães pela Educação Nacional – OMEN)

Domitila also collaborated with magazines such as Sociedade FuturaandAlma Femininaand devoted herself to holding conferences on literature and teaching.

In addition to her teaching and medical activities,she also dedicated herself to writing, publishing works such as Versos (1909), (1919), Terra de Amores (1924), Maria Amália Vaz de Carvalho (1930) e Para o Alto (1957). Her life ended on November 11 of 1966.

SHE SAID IT

[Women] must devote themselves to study and to make the most of it to be respected as the intelligent and free beings they are.

Domitila de Carvalho, Anuário da Escola Maria Pia 1906-1907, p.13.

The infant mortality rate from 1930 to 1934 leads us to the conclusion that in this country a child under five years dies every twelve minutes. Everyone who has dealt with child protection knows that most of these deaths are due to the ignorance of mothers. That’s why it is important to prepare future mothers to raise their children.

Domitila de Carvalho, Assembleia Nacional, Diário das Sessões, n.º 17, 22 de Fevereiro de 1935, p. 342 In Áurea Adão & M.ª José Remédios,(2011), “As raparigas portuguesas vão aos liceus do Estado Novo. Uma educação diferenciada no cumprimento de um ideário (1936-1947)”, p.5 In Tomé, I. et al. (coord.).Olhares sobre mulheres. Homenagem a Zília Osório de Castro.(pp. 41-54). Lisboa: CESNOVA- Centro de Estudos de Sociologia da Nova.

THEY SAID IT

Brilliant lady who, thanks to her persevering work in continuing studies, has managed to rise to the high degree of her education in such difficult areas of study, giving her name a well-deserved reputation.

“Drª D. Domitilla de Carvalho” (1896), Revista Ocidente,19º Ano, Vol. XIX, nº 638, p. 203.

PRIZES, ACHIEVEMENTS, HONOURS

At the University, she received several prizes for her distinction in Mineral Chemistry, Mathematics I, and Mathematics II. She also got numerous honorable mentions (accessits) in Philosophy and Mathematics.

INTERTEXTUAL MATERIALS

Exhibition And Yet, They Move! Women and Science [E contudo, elas movem-se! Mulheres e Ciência], Rectorate of the University of Porto, Portugal, 10-29 September, 2019. [an illustration of Domitila de Carvalho by Miguel Praça is displayed at the exhibition]

E contudo, elas movem-se! Mulheres e Ciência (com poemas) (2019), Org. Ana Luísa Amaral e Marinela Freitas. Porto: U.Porto Edições [the book contains a short bio on Domitila de Carvalho, as well as an illustration by Miguel Praça].

Poster of the exhibition “And Yet, They Move! Women and Science”. © Miguel Praça

WORKS BY DOMITILA DE CARVALHO

Carvalho, Domitila (1957), Para o alto. Porto: [s.n.].

Carvalho, Domitila (1930), Maria Amália Vaz de Carvalho. Lisboa: [s.n.].

Carvalho, Domitila (1909), Versos. Coimbra: F. França Amado.

Carvalho, Domitila (1924), Terra de amores. Coimbra: Coimbra Ed.

Carvalho, Domitila (1919), Lição às alunas do Liceu de Garrett, no 30.º dia do falecimento do Sr. Dr. Sidónio Paes.Lisboa: Oficinas Gráficas Editoras, 1919.

FURTHER READING

Braga, Paulo Drumond (2014), “A educação em debate na Assembléia Nacional Portuguesa:o contributo das mulheres deputadas (1945-1957)” Caderno Espaço Feminino– Uberlândia-MG,  v. 27, n. 1 – Jan/Jun.

Carvalho, Margarida (2004), “Domitila de Carvalho: biografia de um percurso singular!”, Lisboa, Universidade Aberta.

Carvalho, Margarida (2011), “Domitila de Carvalho (1871-1966) Um percurso singular”, in História e Universos Femininos, Associação Portuguesa de História, p.1 <http://www.aph.pt/ex_assPropFeminina7.php>, (last accessed 03 Sep. 2019).

Carvalho, Margarida (2009), “Domitila de Carvalho (1871-1966) precursora na educação e na política”. In Villa da Feira: terra de Santa Maria. Ano VIII nº 22 Junho de 2009, LAF – Liga dos Amigos da Feira, p. 101- 107.

Castilho, J.M. Tavares, “Os Deputados à Assembleia Nacional (1935-1974): Biografia e carreira parlamentar”, <http://app.parlamento.pt/PublicacoesOnLine/DeputadosAN_1935-1974/html/deputados_c.html> (last accessed 02 Sep. 2019).

Esteves, João (2001), “Os primórdios do feminismo em Portugal: a 1ª década do século XX”. Penélope, N.º 25, p. 87-112.

Gomes, Joaquim Ferreira (1991), “Domitila de Carvalho: a primeira mulher na Universidade de Coimbra”, in Estudos para a História da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Imprensa de Coimbra, pp. 35-55.

Irene Flunser-Pimentel, História das organizações femininas do Estado Novo. Lisboa: Temas e Debates, 2001, p. 419.

Lopes-Vieira, Affonso (1909), “Prefácio”, in Domitillla de Carvalho, Versos, Coimbra, F. França Amado, Editor.

Mariano, Fátima (2014), “Pacifismo e feminismo em Portugal nas vésperas da 1ª Guerra Mundial” in Pela Paz! For Peace! Pour la Paix! (1849-1939). Bruxelas : P.I.E. Peter Lang, p. 277-288.

Martins, Maria do Carmo (2015), “Domitila Carvalho: a primeira mulher licenciada em Portugal” in Ensino, Correio dos Açores, 8 de Janeiro de 2015, p. 15.

Pimentel, Irene Flunser, Esteves, J. (2003), “Carvalho, Domitila de”, in Dicionário de Educadores Portugueses, direção de António Nóvoa, Porto: Asa, p. 292-293.

Remédios, Maria José (2005), “Domitila Hormizinda de Carvalho” in Zília Osório de Castro & João Esteves (coordenadores), Dicionário no Feminino (Séculos XIX-XX). Lisboa: Livros Horizonte, p. 284-285.

Remédios, Maria José (2005), “A narratividade educativa na 1. fase da governação de Oliveira Salazar. A voz das mulheres na Assembleia Nacional portuguesa (1935-1945)”, Revista Lusófona de Educação , n. 5, Lisboa: Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, p. 85-109.

Samara, Maria Alice, Operárias e Burguesas. As Mulheres no Tempo da República. Lisboa: Esfera dos Livros, 2007.

Sousa, Maria Reynolds de (2005), “Carvalho, Domitila Hormizinda Miranda de”, in Dicionário Biográfico Parlamentar. 1935-1974, direção de Manuel Braga da Cruz e António Costa Pinto, v. I, Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Assembleia da República, p. 363-365.

Sousa, Maria Reynolds de (1986), “As mulheres deputadas portuguesas”, In A Mulher na sociedade portuguesa, Visão histórica e perspectivas actuais.Colóquio. Coimbra: Instituto de História Económica e Social, pp. 427-444.

Arquivo Nacional Torre do Tombo, Correspondência de Domitila de Carvalho,<https://digitarq.arquivos.pt/details?id=7796756> (last accessed 01 Sep. 2019).

WORKS CITED

 Arquivo Histórico Parlamentar, Projecto de Lei nº 044/I,  <http://ahpweb.parlamento.pt/Detalhe/?pesq=&t=&id=1241&tx=> (last accessed 01 Sep. 2019)

 Carvalho, Margarida (2011), “Domitila de Carvalho (1871-1966) Um percurso singular”, in História e Universos Femininos, Associação Portuguesa de História, p.1 <http://www.aph.pt/ex_assPropFeminina7.php(last accessed 01 Sep. 2019)

Carvalho, Domitila de,Anuário da Escola Maria Pia 1906-1907, p.13, In Carvalho, Margarida (2011), “Domitila de Carvalho (1871-1966) Um percurso singular”, in História e Universos Femininos, Associação Portuguesa de História, p.1 <http://www.aph.pt/ex_assPropFeminina7.php(last accessed 01 Sep. 2019)

Carvalho, Margarida (2009), “Domitila de Carvalho (1871-1966) precursora na educação e na política”. In Villa da Feira: terra de Santa Maria. Ano VIII nº 22 Junho de 2009, LAF – Liga dos Amigos da Feira, p. 101- 107.

“Drª D. Domitilla de Carvalho” (1896) Revista Ocidente,19º Ano, Vol. XIX, nº 638, p. 203.

Gomes, Joaquim Ferreira (1991), “Domitila de Carvalho: a primeira mulher na Universidade de Coimbra”, in Estudos para a História da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Imprensa de Coimbra, p.41.