187:(PS). In 1976, despite opposition from her father and many others, who believed that politics was for men only, she stood as a candidate to become mayor of Mealhada, receiving the endorsement of her superior at work only if she agreed to serve just one term, as being a mayor was a full-time job. She campaigned throughout the municipality and was successful, making her one of just five women elected as mayors on 12 December 1976, the others being
218:. In her job she was a daily victim of sexism, discovering that men did not like to be told what to do by women. She also discovered that the municipality had virtually no resources. At a later stage in her political career she had a falling out with the PS, being expelled from the party in 2003 for having successfully run for the council as an independent in 2001. She would reconcile with the party in 2017.
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136:. She had originally wanted to train to be a surgeon but a doctor living next door to her family told her that "women did not have the hands to be surgeons", so she agreed to study pharmacy, with her parents promising to buy her a pharmacy in Mealhada from an owner who was close to retirement. Her original plan had been to study at the
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as director of pharmaceutical services and as a member of the
University of Coimbra faculty, teaching courses in pharmacy. In 1990 she was one of the founding members of the Portuguese Association of Hospital Pharmacists (APFH) and was its president between 1993 and 2002. She retired on 25 April
152:'s hospitals, where she stayed for around five years. In 1970 she became responsible for promoting, supporting, and coordinating pharmaceutical activity in the hospitals of the Northern Hospital Zone of Portugal. From 1974 she planned and organized the pharmaceutical services of the
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Isabel received a gold medal for distinguished service from the ministry of health on World Health Day, 2010 and in the same year the Medal of Honour from the Order of
Pharmacists in Portugal. A kindergarten, now a primary school, has been named after her in Mealhada.
238:(Women's Grand Lodge of Portugal), the only masonic lodge for women in the country. She was Grand Master of the lodge between 2010 and 2012 and re-elected to the position in October 2021. She has been a campaigner for men-only lodges to be opened to women.
93:(Portuguese Association of Hospital Pharmacists - APFH) and its president from 1993 to 2002. In 1976 she was one of the first five women, known as "The Magnificent Five", to be elected as mayors of Portuguese municipalities. Isabel was Grand Master of the
175:, Portugal's first and, as of 2024, only woman prime minister. They were friends while members of the Catholic University Youth at the University of Porto. Political parties became possible in Portugal after the
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but, after deciding to switch to pharmacy, she changed to Porto. She would take further training courses in 1972, on the pharmaceutical industry, and in 1974 on hospital pharmacy.
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89:(born 1940) is a Portuguese former pharmacist and politician, who is also a leading freemason. She was a founder member of the
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Maria Odete Isabel was born on 14 July 1940, in
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Isabel served a three-year term, which was particularly notable for her development of a network of
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466:""Orgulho brutal." Maria Odete Isabel foi uma das cinco mulheres eleitas nas autárquicas de 1976"
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where they worked as fish traders. When she was twelve her parents sent her to be a boarder at a
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In 1965 Isabel started working as a hospital pharmacist in the pharmaceutical services of
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363:"Maria Odete Isabel: "Ainda há muitas mulheres que não sabem defender a causa feminina""
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was organised but others were quickly founded and Isabel became a member of the
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One of the first five women in
Portugal to become mayor of a municipality (1976)
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413:""Os homens não gostavam de ser mandados por mulheres. Ainda hoje não gostam""
270:"PS homenageou Odete Isabel, única mulher presidente da autarquia mealhadense"
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438:"Odete Isabel: "Ser mulher naquela altura era visto como uma desvantagem""
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Hospital Centre, which she would direct until 1994 before moving to the
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327:"Maçonaria - Nova Grã-Mestre na Grande Loja Feminina de Portugal"
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on 25 April 1974. At the time of the revolution only the
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Associação
Portuguesa de Farmacêuticos Hospitalares
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389:Arquivo Histrico da Associao Nacional das Farmcias
116:. When she was very young, her parents moved to
16:Portuguese politician, pharmacist and freemason
128:school. In 1964 Isabel completed a degree in
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159:Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra
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560:20th-century Portuguese women politicians
492:"O lado feminino da maçonaria portuguesa"
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171:Isabel's major political influence was
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272:. Jornal da Mealhada. 5 January 2017
490:Silva, Catarina (25 January 2024).
365:. Diário de Notícias. 15 April 2021
540:Women mayors of places in Portugal
132:at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the
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226:In 2000, inspired by her friend,
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236:Grande Loja Feminina de Portugal
95:Grande Loja Feminina de Portugal
385:"Maria Odete dos Santos Isabel"
216:Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
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203:. The new PS prime minister,
173:Maria de Lourdes Pintassilgo
230:, a writer, politician and
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442:Comunidade, Cultura e Arte
185:Portuguese Socialist Party
181:Portuguese Communist Party
104:Early life and education
415:. Público. 5 March 2024
570:Portuguese pharmacists
197:Judite Mendes de Abreu
565:Portuguese Freemasons
138:University of Coimbra
234:, Isabel joined the
177:Carnation Revolution
468:. TSF. 1 April 2024
134:University of Porto
242:Honours and awards
193:Francelina Chambel
189:Alda Santos Victor
35:Maria Odete Isabel
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45:14 July 1940
25:Odete Isabel
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550:1940 births
222:Freemasonry
201:Lurdes Breu
534:Categories
494:. Notícias
251:References
110:Cantanhede
64:Pharmacist
61:Occupation
55:, Portugal
49:Cantanhede
41:1940-07-14
232:freemason
130:pharmacy
118:Mealhada
498:29 June
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154:Coimbra
126:convent
120:in the
163:2010.
150:Lisbon
144:Career
500:2024
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199:and
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