An outstanding female figure in occupational health: Ersilia Majno Bronzini / Una straordinaria figura femminile nella storia della medicina del lavoro: Ersilia Majno Bronzini

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S. Salerno

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Abstract

Background: Starting with the obituary “Ersilia Majno Bronzini: an outstanding female figure in Occupational Health,” probably written by Luigi Devoto and published in the journal La Medicina del Lavoro (1933), a reappraisal is made of Majno Bronzini’s contribution to occupational health. Methods: Most references were collected from the archives of the journal Il Lavoro (1901), the archives of the association “Union of Women”, the periodical founded by Majno Bronzini (1899) and other material. Results: Majno Bronzini’s selected published papers (1895, 1900, 1902) on the working conditions of women and child labour proposing a national occupational health law were found. The importance of a women’s network for occupational health is also shown in Majno Bronzini’s correspondence with Anna Celli Frantzel and Maria Montessori. In 1902 Angelo Celli officially congratulated Majno Bronzini’s (and Anne Kuliscioff’s) efforts to promulgate the first law on women and child labour during his speech before the Italian Parliament, published by Il Lavoro. Majno Bronzini and Nina Rignano Sullam were the only two women participating in the First International Congress on Occupational Health in Milan (1906). The correspondence between Majno Bronzini and Devoto (1901-1933) and Devoto’s formal acknowledgement of Majno Bronzini (1910) when inaugurating the new “Clinica del Lavoro” institute is well documented. Conclusions: Majno Bronzini dedicated a significant part of her life to occupational health, together with Anna Celli Frantzel and Maria Montessori along with many others. This research shows how important her contribution was to occupational health development.


Una straordinaria figura femminile nella storia della medicina del lavoro: Ersilia Majno Bronzini
A partire dalla commemorazione “Ersilia Majno Bronzini: una Benemerita della Medicina del Lavoro” pubblicata su questa rivista (1933), attribuita a Luigi Devoto, si ripercorre il contributo di Ersilia Majno Bronzini per il miglioramento delle condizioni di lavoro, in particolare delle donne, private di una legislazione specifica e sfruttate nei tempi, nei modi e nei salari. Le relazioni nei diversi Congressi, la rivista l’Unione femminile, il carteggio con Luigi Devoto sono analizzati nel dettaglio per esplicare il lavoro della Majno Bronzini per la medicina del lavoro e per una concreta azione di prevenzione dei rischi.
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