Until 1974, the Portuguese law allowed“ all Portuguese that were older than 21 years, family liders and knew how to write and read” to vote. Even thought it was not specific on the gender, only men were allowed to vote at that time. Beatriz was a widow and she had higher education, so she should be allowed to vote, but her request to be included in the election was denied. After her protest, Beatriz became the first women to vote in Portuguese elections.
Beatriz was born in Guarda and got her degree in med school in 1902. In the same year she got married with her cousin, also a doctor. Since 1906, she started to participate in associations connected with republican ideas. At the time of the revolution Beatriz was the leader of the republican league. In the next decades the changes in the elector law allowed some women to vote. And finally, the absolute abolition of restrictions on women ' s suffrage happened on april 25 1974.