Faustina Aznárez

A 19th-century Argentine physician who broke gender barriers in medicine and public health

Faustina Aznárez (1846-1923) became Argentina's first licensed female physician in 1877, graduating from the University of Buenos Aires after a decade-long battle against academic gender discrimination. A pioneer in public health, she founded the Escuela de Matronas Argentinas in 1882, training midwives and nurses despite opposition from male medical professionals.

Her 1888 report on infant mortality in Buenos Aires' slums led to the creation of the first municipal health centers. Aznárez also advocated for women's suffrage and authored La Mujer en la Medicina Argentina, the first comprehensive history of women in Argentine medicine. She treated patients from all social classes, establishing a free clinic that operated until her death. Though overshadowed by male contemporaries like Carlos Alonso, her work forms the basis of modern Argentine healthcare policies. Her legacy is commemorated in the Fundación Faustina Aznárez, promoting women in STEM fields.