Sarmiza Bilcescu
The first woman lawyer in Romania, the first woman in Europe to earn a law degree, and the first woman in the world to obtain a PhD in law
Mihaela Ignătescu, 09.09.2025, 10:17
Today, we journey back to the late 19th century, to a world in which women were still seen primarily as daughters, wives, and mothers. Higher education was closed to them, the legal profession was considered far beyond their reach, and social conventions weighed heavily upon their ambitions. And yet, in this world of restrictions, another remarkable Romanian woman defied the odds, broke barriers, and inscribed her name in history.
Her name was Sarmiza Bilcescu—the first woman lawyer in Romania, the first woman in Europe to earn a law degree, and the first woman in the world to obtain a PhD in law.
