Like many other influential Syrian women, Wahida Al-Azma has been a part of our Syrian history. History has told us many stories about figures that have strongly influenced the lives of human beings in the world, and people continue to benefit from their inventions, actions, and principles to this day. Although these figures suffered a lot of failures and frustration, this didn’t discourage them from continuing to achieve the highest goals.
Her goal was to succeed strongly, leave an imprint on the lives of many, and be remembered in history. Wahida Al-Azma was one of these figures; a Syrian woman who worked hard to bring science to its highest ranks. In this article, we will be talking about this immortal figure; who left an imprint of determination and success to be remembered in history to this day.
“A little knowledge and using it, is more useful than much knowledge with lack of using it.”
– Plato. [1]
A Syrian woman who was born to a prestigious damascene family. Her father’s thoughts helped her overcome many obstacles, as he chose for his sons and daughters a mixed school, in which Wahida completed all stages of education and graduated with a Syrian and French Secondary Certificate. [2]
Wahida aspired to be a writer or scientist due to her love of literature and her excellence in science, but her ambitions were not destined to come true. As the university was limited to the branches of both Medicine and law at that time, in addition to the option of attending teachers’ school and working in the field of Education.
Wahida chose to attend the School of Medicine, as she was preceded by many of her generation’s daughters. It was believed that she was the first to practice medicine in the field. The number of students at the university was limited to no more than seventy students, and she was the only Syrian female student.
The study of Medicine took Wahida seven years for both stages; theoretical and clinical. The teaching halls were located in the Sulaymaniyah Hospice, near a building that was allocated to store the corpses for autopsy study. She abhorred the Formol-scented skeletons which were for sale in the morgue. However, for her, the clinical lessons were more interesting than the theoretical ones because of the gained knowledge and experience.
In 1949, Wahida Al-Azma graduated as a doctor from the Faculty of Medicine in Damascus. One year before her graduation, she had treated the wounded at the Mezzeh Military Hospital during the war against the Israeli enemy in 1948. [2]
When the Army Command announced the admission of doctors to work in the army, Al-Azma applied and she was appointed as a doctor with the rank of First Lieutenant in the Syrian Arab Army in 1950. Therefore, She became the first female doctor with the rank of First Lieutenant in the Syrian Army.
Later, she was deployed to France by the army command to specialize in the field of Pediatrics. She obtained a certificate of specialization in pediatrics from the University of Paris. Then she obtained a certificate of specialization in social pediatrics from the International Children’s Center in Paris. After that, she returned to Syria to work in the clinics of the Ministry of Defense as a chief doctor and pediatrician.
Wahida Al-Azma contributed to the establishment of the Syrian Pediatric Association, and the Family Planning Association in 1974 and was a volunteer member for 25 years. She was a member of the editorial board of the Syrian medical journal published by the Syrian doctor’s syndicate for a quarter of a century. In addition, she participated in the editing of the magazine “The Doctor” published in Arabic-language in Paris for five years. She was elected as a member of the executive committee of the Arab World Region, International Planned Parenthood Federation. [3]
Al-Azma has translated some educational books from French into Arabic. She has also published a large number of research papers on family-related health topics. In addition to translating topics indirectly related to family planning, including the population explosion around the world, and population education.
She has also authored several books on motherhood, childhood, and Family Health commissioned by the literacy Directorate of the Ministry of culture. The project targeted a social segment that needs awareness about these topics. Through these publications, Wahida Al-Azma tried to give the correct medical information in a simple and interesting way. [2]
She was the daughter of a family descended from two families considered one of the oldest Damascene families. Her father was an officer from the conservative “Al-Azma” family; many of whose members held high positions in the Ottoman Empire. Her mother comes from the family of “AL-Mahaini” who was known for their tendency to be openness and love of culture and science.
Wahida Al-Azma lived a life full of events, stories, and achievements. First of all, it must be mentioned that the contrast between the two families from which the doctor came out “Wahida” was a strong motivation behind her distinction. The family of “Al-Azma” was known for its conservatism and tendency for excellence and science. This is what affected the child “Wahida”, who enjoyed, since her childhood, the strength of character and superiority, so she was the first doctor working in the”Syrian Arab Army”.
The death of Wahida’s mother, while she was still young, placed the burden of taking care of her seven siblings on her, being the eldest daughter. The worries were many and the burden was heavy, but her self-confidence and pursuit of her goal gave her the strength to overcome adversity. She coped with the monotonous life inside the house and was able to overcome all the existing negatives.
Doctor “Wahida” got married to one of her fellow doctors in 1953. She traveled with him to Saudi Arabia and stayed there for a year and a half working as a doctor. She accompanied her husband until his sudden illness and death in 1956. Then she returned to Damascus with a baby in her womb, her only son, who also became a doctor. She died alone in the city of Damascus in 2020. [2]
Anyone who reviews the long biography of Dr. Wahida Al-Azma knows how determined and dedicated she was in her work, and faithful to everything she believed in until the last moments of her life. Success is achieved not only by the presence of desire and ambition, but also requires a strong will and impressive actions. The world is full of many influential figures who have left a clear imprint at all levels.
We, the Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative, are seeking to remind the people of the influential Syrian Women as an example for everyone who dares the dream and insists on success and achieving their goals.
♀️ Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative aims at sustainable peace building in Syria through targeting women and providing them with free online courses, workshops, discussion sessions and trainings, with a view to achieving the goals of Gender Equality, Quality Education and Decent Work and Economic Growth, which all fall into the interest of society as a whole and serve the purpose of rebuilding it.
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References:
[1] Mawdoo3
[2] E Syria
[3] Alalam