Josefa Jara Martinez (January 21, 1894 – April 24, 1987) was a prominent Filipino social worker, suffragist and civic leader.[1]
Josefa Jara Martinez | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 21, 1894 |
| Died | April 24, 1987 (aged 93) |
Life
editMartinez was born in Iloilo in 1894.[2]
She was educated in the Mandurriao district, Iloilo, before moving to America as a pensionada to attend the New York School of Social Work (now the Columbia University School of Social Work) where she trained as a social worker.[3] She returned to the Philippines after graduating to begin her social work career.
Martinez founded the first school of social work in the Philippines, which was affiliated with the Philippine Women's University, and is now known as the Philippine School of Social Work.[4] She later became the director of the non-governmental agency, the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) in Nueva Ecija.[5] She also authored The Evolution of Philippine Social Work.
She was a Protestant belonging to the United Church,[6] and became the executive secretary of the Young Woman's Christian Association of the Philippines.[7] After the death of Josefa Abiertas, Martinez was one of the founders of the Josefa Abiertas House of Friendship in Quezon City, which supported "unwed mothers and fatherless children".[8]
Martinez was also a suffragist who was a member of National Federation of Women's Clubs (NFWC), which led the campaign for women's enfranchisement in the Philippines.[9] A cartoon of her as a suffrage campaigner was published in the Manilla Bulletin newspaper.[10]
Honours
editIn 1978, Martinez was awarded the Social Worker of the Year Award by the governments Professional Regulations Commissions.[4] The public Josefa Jara Martinez High School was named after her and after her death. In 1994, she was featured on a Philippine stamp,[2] and a plaque was erected in her honour at the Philippine Women's University.
References
edit- ^ Almario, V. "Josefa Jara-Martinez". Sagisag Kultura. 1. Manila: National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ a b "Josefa Martinez on Stamps". The Anthem Philatelist. July 21, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Felizmeña, Amelia Delda (1999). Women Power in Social Welfare and Development. Department of Social Welfare and Development. pp. 15–17. ISBN 978-971-93071-1-2.
- ^ a b Lariza, Edwin (May 27, 2012). "Rediscovering the Ilonggo Contribution to Social Work". Central Philippine University Alumni. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Nelmida-Miclat, Agrinelda (1993). The Fundamentals of Community Organization and People Empowerment. Mary Jo Educational Supply. p. 46. ISBN 978-971-8752-03-6.
- ^ Philippine Studies. Ateneo de Manila University Press. 2002. p. 20.
- ^ Reyes, Felina (1951). Filipino Women: Their Role in the Progress of Their Nation. U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. p. 6.
- ^ Sonza, Demy; Sonza, Gloria (1979). "Josefa Abiertas: The first Filipino woman Baptist to gain national renown". Southeast Asia Journal. 11 (1): 32–34.
- ^ Lundström-Burghoorn, Wil (2008). Gender Politics in Asia: Women Manoeuvring Within Dominant Gender Orders. NIAS Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-87-7694-015-7.
- ^ Edwards, Louise; Roces, Mina (August 21, 2006). Women's Suffrage in Asia: Gender, Nationalism and Democracy. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-32035-6.