Esilda Villa

Esilda Villa was the first woman to become a lawyer in Bolivia and was instrumental in the women's movement in the early twentieth century in her country. After passing her examination in 1928, she was refused a license to practice because women were not citizens at that time and could not complete the mandatory military service. International pressure was brought to bear and she finally earned her license in 1929. Ten years later when she passed examination to become a trial lawyer, the Supreme Court again refused to issue a license on the basis that women were incapable of practicing law. She successfully earned her license within a month and practiced until her untimely death from a traffic accident.