Matilde Hidalgo de Procel was the first woman to graduate from high school in Ecuador, the first woman to vote in a South American election, and the first woman to hold elected office in her country. She went on to become the first woman to graduate from medical school in Ecuador, obtaining her doctorate in medicine in 1923. Throughout her career, she broke numerous gender barriers and held several "firsts" for women in Ecuadorian politics, including being the first elected councilwoman and first elected public administrator in Loja, Ecuador. She received many honors and awards for her contributions to public health and women's rights in Ecuador before passing away in 1974 at the age of 85.

1. Matilde Hidalgo de Procel
1889–1974
IVON LOPEZ

2. • Matilde Hidalgo de Procel became the first
woman to graduate from a high school in
Ecuador, the first woman to vote in an election
in South America and the first woman to hold
elected office in her country.

3. First years of life
• She was born in Loja, on September 25th
, 1889. She was baptized in San Sebastian
church of Loja on September 29th ,1889. Her
parents
were Juan Manuel Hidalgo Guideline, and Car
men Navarro del Castillo.

4. • His older brother Antonio took the responsibly
of the education of Matilde; He carried her to
the church where he spent long hours
studying many musical instruments.
• He taught Matilde to read at four years so she
could enter at "La Inmaculada school" of the
nuns of Charity, in where she was a volunteer
being a nurse’s assistant.

5. • When she finished the school , she wanted to
continue her studies and Matilde and Her
mother had an interview with the Dr. Ojeda
the director of Bernardo Valdivieso high
school after of a month He agreed.

6. • Reaction in the community was not very good:
mothers prohibited their daughters have a
friendship with her; the local priest forced her
listen the mass two steps outside the church’s
entrance. However her mother defended
staunchly her daughter. Eventually Matilde
graduated with honors.

7. • She try to enter at Faculty of Medicine, Central
University and made ​an appointment with the
Rector, who said that medicine was not
a career for a woman and she said that should
study Obstetrics or pharmacy, believing
that professions were more favorable.

8. • She returned to Cuenca and continued her
studies at the local university, obtaining a
Doctorate in Medicine in 1923, being the first
Ecuadorian woman in receive a title. Two
years later, Matilde married with the lawyer
Fernando Procel, and they had two children
named: Fernando and Gonzalo
Procel, Fernando was a doctor while Gonzalo
was an architect.

9. • During the presidency of José Luis
Tamayo, Matilde announced that she was
going to vote in the next presidential
elections. The issue was put under ministerial
consultation, eventually ruling in her
favor, and in 1924, Matilde Hidalgo becomes
the first woman in Latin America to exercise
her constitutional right to vote in an election.

10. • Matilde opened many more doors: she
became the first elected councilwoman of
Machala and, the first vice-president of the
Council of Machala. In 1941, she became the
first woman candidate and the first elected
woman public administrator in Loja, the city
that was once horrified by her ambitions.
• The 71 received the Merit Award of Public
Health. On July 30, 1973 was widowed, her

11. • In 1954 was designed and Lifetime Honorary
President of the Red Cross of El Oro, 1956
received the National Order of Merit in
the grade of Grand Officer and represented
the Medical Federation of Ecuador at the
Third Congress of the Pan American Medical
Women's Alliance meeting in Santiago, Chile.

12. • In 1871 received the Merit Award of Public
Health. On July 30, 1973 was widowed, her
husband died of a heart attack. After his
strong spiritual texture, crushed by
loneliness and pain, he
declared conquered, had a stroke that
paralyzed his body and left her unconscious.

13. • She was brought to Guayaquil on a plane, he
joined the Social Security Regional Hospital
where his son Fernando was a doctor and
began to improve, but complication by her
age, forced to suffer the amputation of a
leg and died on 20 February1974, at age 85.