Publicistic activity of Tsonka Sabeva – the first graduated midwife in Veliko Tarnovo

Information for nursing staff, 2024, 56(2), 57-63.

Z. Pavlovska

Department of Health Care, Affiliate Veliko Tarnovo, Medical University – Varna

Abstract. Introduction. The first graduated midwives in Bulgaria appear at the end of the 19th and the beginning of
the 20th century. Among the most famous of them are Raina Popgeorgieva, Hristina Hranova, Vasilka Kurteva, Viktoriya Bikova, Zlatina Nedeva, who contributed a lot to the establishment and development of the midwifery profession in Bulgaria. Among them we can count the midwife Tsonka Sabeva – the first graduated midwife in Veliko Tarnovo, who is also a talented publicist. Purpose: To present and analyze the publicistic activity of the first graduated midwife in Veliko Tarnovo. Documentary, historical method and review of archival documents have been used. Tsonka Sabeva is among the first midwives who contribute to the development of the midwifery profession in Bulgaria with her knowledge and professional skills. In the stormy Post-Liberation years, she also appeared as a talented publicist. In the beginning, she wrote short notes, over time her publications become more extensive and more critical. In them, she addressed medical and social issues such as abortion and tuberculosis. She appealed to raising the health and cultural level of women and fighting for sobriety. As an activist of the women movement, she opposed the exploitation of women work and discrimination, and called for improving the situation of working women and for equal rights with men.

Key words: midwife, publicism, profession, society, rights

Address for correspondence: Zana Pavlovska, e-mail: Zhana.Pavlovska@mu-varna.bg