An exception in the academic training of women: Al-Andalus during the 8th to the 12th centuries

Abstract

Introduction: Women in Al-Andalus, 8th to the 12th centuries, could get trained in a formal way in medicine and caring. This turning point between legal-religious regulation and healthcare was the result of different factors. Main objective: To clarify the training course of women in Al-Andalus during the 8th to the 12th centuries. Specific objectives: to know the educational beginnings of women in Al-Andalus; to establish the healthcare training paths of women in Al-Andalus; to define the feminine figures dedicated to healthcare according to their academic education. Methods: Historical and descriptive review. It has conducted a bibliographic research in primary sources, original articles, manuals, libraries, historical archives and databases. Results: The education of the andalusi women began with the reading and writing of the Koran. The training in healthcare was associated to male teachers known as tabib, and female teachers, tabiba and qabila. When their training was finished, women should acquire the iyaza and pass a theoretical-practical exam. Andalusí women got trained in hispanic-arabic medicine. Conclusions: The training of tabibas and qabilas in Al-Andalus was silent but revolutionary, giving its formal and regulated nature. They made contributions to the obstetrics. Part of the training tradition of Al-Andalus lasts nowadays.

Keywords

• historia de la enfermería
• historia de la medicina
• mujeres médicas
• enseñanza
• diversidad cultural