She painted this picture after asking the hospital if she could take home the fetus she had just lost. The request was denied and she understood that the way to verbalize her pain would be through the image that she felt: The body at rest, injured and in the face of painful and prolonged loss. The pregnancy had already given risk warnings, and the wisdom of Medicine did not know how to stop the spontaneous abortion that would eventually happen.
The painting called “Henry Ford Hospital” was painted by Frida Khalo in 1932. It is currently in the Dolores Olmeo Museum, in Mexico.
In the month that still sees the need to highlight the role of women in society, we too are taking part in this communication, focusing on excellent examples of the role of women.
It is true that being a woman is not a symbol of motherhood, but it is an exclusive role that when denied, is possibly the greatest loss that the soul records and that few artistic manifestations are able to portray. Frida Khalo has managed to portray the side of a woman many times. Is the tribute a reflection of the loss and the weak? You will find the answers in each story in this issue, told by men and by women. And it is clear to us that to praise prominent roles is not to make them inferior, but to acclaim their merits. Just meet Dulce Freitas, Head Nurse and Maria José Diógenes, Researcher and our Professor.
Recognising women includes loss, pain, leadership, independence, strength, wisdom, intuition, and vulnerability. Pain is not only an inherent element of women, but part of all of us throughout life. We want you to know what our Faculty is doing about Palliative Care and the positions it takes to get increasingly closer to potential patients.
Let us paint all these plots that inhabit us all.
This month, the editorial team wanted to sign this Note. After all, as a result of so many reports, news and written interviews, we are also a little bit in everything we write.
Thank you for getting involved with us!
Joana Sousa
We start by talking about those who never see the dream of motherhood fulfilled, or, having made that dream come true, live in pain over time, in a timid secret of what Endometriosis is.
Cristina Bastos
Being a woman can be crossing the 4 seasons in a single day, but it is also having the courage to resist in the face of adversity. It is having the job of collecting all the stones and building a castle with them.
Isabel Varela
To be a woman is to be a warrior who fights for what she wants, knowing that she does not need to choose between being a mother, lover, professional, or, for example, a writer. She knows that there are always many battles to be fought, which can be ours alone or everyone's.
Sónia Teixeira
Over the centuries, women have had attitudes and behaviours similar to the ocean. Sometimes it appears calm and serene, at other times it has the waves of the sea on stormy days. It becomes agitated, revolts and fights for emancipation, trying to overcome the various adverse situations they face, so that the world can become a better and fairer place.
Lurdes Barata
Women, in the eyes of men, represent the force of nature, managing to move everything around them. Perhaps that is why the word nature is also feminine, due to the energy and power that are also characteristic in nature. Women have the ability to always say what they think in different situations, whether good or bad, not mingling words. Women always make a comeback and, even if, sometimes, men do not acknowledge the real intellectuality of women, in solving all situations, they admire the determined feminine side and want a true Woman in their lives. As women are leaders, in this newsletter we talk about the new FMUL online course on leadership. As of this month, our Ph.Ds. will begin to present their projects in the newsletter. Focusing on the students, we bring you the balance of one of the major events of the year, AIMS.
Leonel Gomes
Being a woman is a project of constant discovery, as Simone de Beauvoir said, One is not born a woman, one becomes a woman. And because many times not even the women themselves know what it is to be a woman, here are some resources for reflection:
On gender lack of equality in the labour market and in leadership positions:
“International Women's Day - Can You Solve the Riddle?” – 22 people were asked to solve a small riddle and these are their answers. Participate too! Did you get to the solution? What does this say about you and your perception of the role of women in society?
About motherhood:
“Sem filhos e sem culpas: estas mulheres nunca quiseram ser mães” – (no children and no guilt. Women who never wanted to become mothers) Motherhood is an essential stage in a woman's life. But ... Are you less of a woman because you don't want to be a mother? This article from Público talks to 3 women about a wish that never existed.
On the exhaustion of women:
“O trabalho não pago” (unpaid work)– A study by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation on the time women spend taking care of their homes and children. (Yes, this is also a job.)
Happy Reading!
The Editorial Team
