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- The doodle honors the late physician, as a feminist and pioneer in and out of the medical field
RIYADH: Search engine giant Google celebrated on Saturday the life of Tawhida Ben Cheikh, the first woman credited to practice medicine in North Africa, with one of its iconic doodles.
A young Ben Cheikh can be seen here. (File/Internet)
The doodle honors Ben Cheikh as a feminist and pioneer, and marks one year since she was commemorated on Tunisia鈥檚 10-dinar bill, making her the first female doctor on a banknote.
She was the first Tunisian female to graduate from secondary school in 1928, and proceeded with her education 鈥� sidestepping expectations of women prevalent at the time 鈥� to earn her medical degree in Paris at the age of 27.
Ben Cheikh became the first female physician to be emblazoned on a banknote. (File/AFP)
On her return to Tunisia, she opened her own free medical practice 鈥� a move that would transform Tunisian medicine by providing greater access to modern healthcare.
She later on became the head of the maternity department of the city鈥檚 Charles-Nicolle hospital in 1955 and in the 1970鈥檚, founded Tunisia鈥檚 first family planning clinic.
Apart from her role in medicine, she was also a social activist and founder of Le茂la, the country鈥檚 first French-language women鈥檚 magazine鈥攂ecoming an icon for women in the region.