The Edinburgh Seven
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On November 18, 1870, a group of young women in Edinburgh, Scotland were pelted with garbage, mud, insults, and threats as they tried to enter a University building to take a test. Their crimes? They were women, attempting to attend medical school.
They were called, among other things, whores. Because why else would women want to become doctors than to fulfill some "base desires"? Did anyone question the men in this regard? Of course not. A man becoming a doctor is a high calling. And why would anyone, let alone vulnerable women, want to see a doctor that was anything other than a big, strong man?
Absurd, isn't it? And yet, that's exactly what happened. This group of women became known as "The Edinburgh Seven". There were more than 7, those were just the ones who were the most vocal and "brazen".
Some of the 7 graduated and went on to get medical degrees, most of them in Switzerland. It took Scotland a while to get their shit together about this incident. Women's rights in the UK were, like in the US at that time, a developing issue.
The Legacy of the Edinburgh Seven
The Edinburgh Seven were not just students—they were revolutionaries. Their struggle forced society to confront its deep-rooted prejudices and set in motion changes that would eventually lead to the acceptance of women in medicine.
Their efforts directly contributed to the Enabling Act of 1876, which allowed women to officially qualify as doctors in the UK. They also inspired the creation of medical schools for women, ensuring that future generations had access to the education they fought so hard for.
Today, their story stands as a testament to perseverance in the face of injustice. They didn’t just demand a seat in the lecture hall—they paved the way for generations of women to follow.
The story of the Edinburgh Seven is one of resilience, determination, and an unyielding demand for equality. But while their battle for education and professional recognition was fought over 150 years ago, their struggle is far from ancient history. The barriers they faced—exclusion, discrimination, and institutional resistance—still echo in modern-day fights for women’s rights across the world.
