NOVEMBER 20 - NATIVIDAD ALMEDA-LOPEZAfter passing the Bar in 1913, Natividad Almeda-Lopez proceeded

NOVEMBER 20 - NATIVIDAD ALMEDA-LOPEZAfter passing the Bar in 1913, Natividad Almeda-Lopez proceeded to join the Roll of Attorneys the following year, thereby becoming the first woman to work as a lawyer in the Philippines. She would later make history, once again, as the first woman to publicly defend another woman in court. Almeda-Lopez was determined to achieve equality between men and women, stating in a 1918 speech that, “The sexual differences that distinguish and separate us from men are not enough to justify the irritating inequality of our rights. Men and women make up the totality of the human race, and our humanity is the essence of all our rights.”“Gender can influence individual preferences and emotive inclinations,” she continued. “But it does not change the qualities of the individual. And for this reason, neither should it change the rights of the individual. Given the fundamental laws and derivatives before the private and juridical order, both sexes should be equal.”Five years into her legal career, Almeda-Lopez was hired by the Bureau of Justice. She would overcome opposition from her colleagues, political entities and former classmates, eventually earning a position as assistant attorney at the Attorney General’s Office.In 1934, President Manuel Quezon offered Almeda-Lopez a permanent post as executive judge for the City Court of Manila, after serving as the designated acting city judge for three years prior. She retired in 1962, shortly after being elevated to the Court of Appeals.Photo credit: Betsy Stout via Cool Chicks From History -- source link

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