Paulina Luisi | |
|---|---|
 Luisi in 1921 | |
| Born | Paulina Luisi Janicki 22 September 1875 |
| Died | 16 July 1950 (aged 74) |
| Occupation(s) | Physician, teacher, activist |
Paulina Luisi Janicki (1875–1950) was a leader of the feminist movement in Uruguay. She was born in Colón, Argentina on 22 September 1875 into a family of educators. In 1909, she became the first Uruguayan woman to earn a medical degree.
Luisi represented Uruguay in international women's conferences and traveled throughout Latin America and Europe. She is considered one of the principal figures in the pan-American feminist movement, having helped to found the Pan-American Women’s Auxiliary. However, she frequently clashed with other major figures in the movement, including members of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance (IWSA) such as Carrie Chapman Catt and Bertha Lutz.
Several prominent Uruguayan advocacy organizations were founded with Luisi's support, including the Unión Nacional de Telefonistas (transl. 'Telephone Operators Union') and the Alianza de Mujeres para los Derechos Femeninos (transl. 'Women's Alliance for Women's Rights'), which championed women's suffrage in Uruguay. She also supported eugenic reforms, as well as regulations governing the sex industry. She worked with the League of Nations to combat sex trafficking and advance the rights of children.
During the 1930s, Luisi was the host of the Uruguayan radio station Radio Femenina, an "all-woman" radio station where she adopted the nickname Abuela (transl. 'Grandmother'). She also worked with various organizations to oppose the rise of fascism in Uruguay and abroad and advocated for sexual education in schools. She died on 16 July 1950.