Marie Popelin

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Marie Popelin was very important for women in Belgium during the late 19th and 20th centuries. She was very well educated in her childhood and became a teacher and worked at many different schools, but then decided she would rather go to law school. She was the first woman in Belgium to graduate from law school, but because she was a woman they wouldn’t allow her to take the Bar exam so she wouldn’t be able to practice law. She fought against it but then realized that the whole system was against women and that there needed to be even more change in order for there to be equality. I think she is very inspiring and a strong woman. 


Marie Popelin’s contributions are important because they helped to advance gender equality in Belgium, which in turn helped gender equality in the world. By advocating for legislative changes she created a lot of shifts in society that gave women more opportunities for work and didn’t limit them to one thing anymore. And for any woman who was trying to become a lawyer, she paved the way for them to be able to take the bar and to be able to practice law because she fought for it and knew that it was a messed up idea that women weren’t legally competent.


I don’t think that Marie Popelin is commemorated well. She has one street named after her that isn’t very big or beautiful and it's kind of tucked away like the entrance to a parking garage. She definitely deserves to have a better kind of recognition, like a justice building or a statue in front of the justice building we saw today. Her efforts empower women and should be more seen throughout Belgium so that people can be reminded of her fight for justice. I think she should also be talked about more. I don’t think I ever would have learned about her if I hadn’t done this study abroad, but I think she is very interesting and should be talked about in schools.





Comments

  1. Meg KiehlMay 8, 2024 at 1:25 PM

    I loved reading your blog post and appreciate your thoughts! I appreciated how you mentioned the obstacles that stood in her way from accomplishing all that she was capable of and wanted to. Like you said, she was not able to take the bar exam to practice law even after graduating from law school. Gender inequality for sure stood in her way, but she fought against it. Gender inequality especially within the career world still exist today. For example, pay and wage compensation is much higher for males. Women are now able to take the bar exam to practice law, but gender inequality still exists in many instances.

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  2. ellie robertsJune 18, 2024 at 5:28 PM

    Marie Popelin's contributions would significantly bolster Vienna's status as a cultural capital. As an advocate for women's rights and legal reform, her efforts to challenge gender discrimination and promote equality are still being felt today. By leading changes in legislation, Popelin would inspire a cultural shift towards greater inclusivity and empowerment of women. This is something that entices people to move to Vienna.

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