Vilma Ripoll (born 12 April 1954) is an Argentine nurse and politician.

Life and times

Vilma Ana Ripoll was born in

Firmat Firmat is a city located in the south of Santa Fe Province of Argentina in the Departamento General López. The main economic activities are agro-industry and agriculture. The city covers an area of about . The population of Firmat was 19,757 at ...

Santa Fe Province The Province of Santa Fe ( es, Provincia de Santa Fe, ) is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco (divided by the 28th parallel south), Corrientes, Entre R ...

, in 1954. She enrolled at the

National University of Rosario The National University of Rosario ( es, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, UNR) is a research public university located in the city of Rosario, province of Santa Fe, Argentina. Overview Rosario National University (UNR) was created in 1968 by ...

School of Medicine, and earned a degree in

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

in 1975; while a student, in 1973, Ripoll co-founded the ''Centro de Estudiantes de Enfermería'' (Nursing Student Center). Ripoll helped organize a relief mission for workers at an Acindar steel plant in

Villa Constitución Villa Constitución is a city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, and the head town of the Constitución Department. It is located on the south-western banks of the Paraná River between the courses of the Arroyo Pavón and the Arroyo del Me ...

whose health benefits had been cut in retaliation for their electing a left-wing

shop steward A union representative, union steward, or shop steward is an employee of an organization or company who represents and defends the interests of their fellow employees as a labor union member and official. Rank-and-file members of the union hold ...

. She then later joined the Trotskyite Socialist Workers' Party. These activities made her a target during the subsequent

Dirty War The Dirty War ( es, Guerra sucia) is the name used by the military junta or civic-military dictatorship of Argentina ( es, dictadura cívico-militar de Argentina, links=no) for the period of state terrorism in Argentina from 1974 to 1983 ...

, however, and in 1977, she left her post at the government health service, PAMI, and sought refuge in Colombia.''Clarín'' (19 Oct 2007): Vilma Ripoll. Enfermera, socialista y candidata de la "nueva izquierda"
/ref> She continued her support for labor unions while in Colombia, and co-founded the Health Workers' Union (SUTS). She returned to Argentina following the return to democratic rule in 1983, and from 1989 to 1999, served as

of the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires employees union, during which tenure she was elected to the Health Workers' Federation (FATSA) congress. Ripoll ran against the union's director, West Ocampo, for the post, but was defeated. She was, however, elected to the

Buenos Aires City Legislature The Buenos Aires City Legislature ( es, Legislatura de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, links=no, commonly known as the ) is a central part of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is housed in the Legislature Palace ( es ...

on the Socialist Workers' Movement (MST) ticket in 2000, and re-elected in 2003. An agreement between the MST and the

Communist Party of Argentina The Communist Party of Argentina ( es, Partido Comunista de la Argentina, also simply known as "PC") is a communist party in Argentina. The party now forms part of the Frente de Todos, the ruling coalition supporting President Alberto Fer ...

resulted in her resignation from the body in December 2004, in favor of Marcos Wolman. Ripoll returned to her administrative post at the Italian Hospital. An

obstetrician Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surg ...

by practice, she became known for her support of the legalization of abortion in Argentina.MST: Aborto legal para no morir (13 Sep 2006)
/ref> An estimated 500,000 abortions are performed annually in Argentina (compared to around 700,000 live births), resulting in at least 10,000 hospitalizations due to complications, as well as over 100 deaths;
/ref> Ripoll cited the example of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, were

maternal death Maternal death or maternal mortality is defined in slightly different ways by several different health organizations. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines maternal death as the death of a pregnant mother due to complications related to pre ...

s fell dramatically, and the number of procedures themselves fell by over half, following its legalization. She ran for a seat in the

Argentine Chamber of Deputies The Chamber of Deputies ( es, Cámara de Diputados de la Nación), officially the Honorable Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Nation, is the lower house of the Argentine National Congress ( es, Congreso de la Nación). It is made up of 257 n ...

for the

Province of Buenos Aires Buenos Aires (), officially the Buenos Aires Province (''Provincia de Buenos Aires'' ), is the largest and most populous Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of th ...

in 2005, and, with veteran actor Héctor Bidonde, for the Presidency in 2007; but she failed on both occasions.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ripoll, Vilma 1954 births Living people People from General López Department Argentine people of Catalan descent National University of Rosario alumni Argentine activists Argentine women activists 21st-century Argentine women politicians 21st-century Argentine politicians Candidates for President of Argentina