Josepha Abiertas

Josepha Abiertas
Born	c. 1894 Capiz, Captaincy General of the Philippines
Died	1929 (aged 34–35) Manila, Insular Government of the Philippine Islands
Alma mater	Philippine Law School
Occupation(s)	Lawyer and feminist
Known for	First woman to graduate with a degree from the Philippine Law School

Josepha Abiertas (1894–1929) was a Filipino lawyer and feminist. She was the first woman to graduate with a degree from the Philippine Law School.[1]

Life

Abiertas was born in Capiz in the Philippines. She had a younger brother and they were orphaned when she was 8 years old.[2] She was educated at the Baptist Home School in Capiz, after it was opened in 1904 by missionaries, then Capiz High School.[2] Abiertas was valedictorian for her class.

She moved to Manila to attend the Philippine Law School and became the first woman to graduate with a law degree from the school. Whilst studying, Abiretas won the First Annual Oratorical Contest held at the school on 18 March 1917.[2] She was admitted to the bar on September 27, 1920,[3] with the highest rating in the examination.[4]

As a lawyer, Abiertas fought for workers rights and farmers rights. Abiertas was also involved in advocating for equal rights for women in the Philippines, including women's suffrage. She wrote a lecture called "The New Age for Women."[5]

Abiertas was a Baptist,[2] supporter of the YMCA[2] and a member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Manila.[6]

Abiertas died in 1929 of tuberculosis.[5][7]

Legacy

After her death, the Josepha Abiertas House of Friendship in Quezon City, which supported "unwed mothers and fatherless children" was founded. One of the founders was social worker and suffragist Josefa Jara Martinez.[2]

References

1. "Abiertas, Josepha (1894–1929)". Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Gale Research, Inc. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2013.(subscription required)
2. Sonza, Demy P.; Sonza, Gloria (1979). "Josefa Abiertas: The first Filipino woman Baptist to gain national renown". Southeast Asia Journal. 11 (1): 26–34.
3. "Atty. JOSEPHA A. ABIERTAS". Lawlist. Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
4. Ancheta, Herminia M. (1984). Filipino Women in Nation Building: A Compilation of Brief Biographies : Dedicated to the Decade of Women Proclaimed by the United Nations, 1975-1985. Phoenix Publishing House. p. 37.
5. "A". Women of History. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
6. Subido, Tarrosa (1955). The Feminist Movement in the Philippines, 1905-1955. National Federation of Women's Clubs.
7. Jennifer S. Uglow; Maggy Hendry (23 September 1999). The Northeastern Dictionary of Women's Biography: Revised by Maggy Hendry. UPNE. p. 2. ISBN 978-1-55553-421-9. Retrieved 5 January 2013.

External links

• Abiertas House of Friendship and Radiance School, named after Josepha Abriertas