Sabire Aydemir, Turkey’s first female veterinary physician, is honoured in today’s Doodle. Aydemir, who was born on this day in 1910 in Kastamonu, Turkey, pursued her passion for animals by forging her own route in the then-exclusive area of veterinary medicine.
She finished primary school in her birthplace and went on to Erenköy Girls High School in Istanbul, where she graduated in 1933.
Her high school graduation corresponds with the first year female students were admitted to Ankara University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. In 1937, she graduated from Veterinary Medicine School as the only female student. She worked on bacteriology for five years at the Refik Saydam Public Hygiene Institute, earning the status of bacteriology expert.
Later, she worked at Istanbul’s Pendik Bacteriology Institute and Ankara’s Etlik Veterinary Control and Research Institute. She then volunteered to serve in another location and was assigned to the Veterinary Control and Research Institute in Samsun as chief of the Rabies Laboratory.
She was invited to the Turkish parliament to receive a plaque for being the first woman in a profession on December 1, 1984, the 50th anniversary of full suffrage for Turkish women. The Turkish Veterinary Association honoured her with an honorary award in 2016, many years after her death.
Sabire Aydemir, thank you for inspiring future generations of women!