Isabel Vilà (Calonge, 1843 – Sabadell, 1896) began working at a young age caring for the sick, in a context where many children entered factories to work when they were 6 years old. In her leisure time, she studied, as she wanted to continue her education to become a teacher one day.

She supported the Revolution of 1868 as a nurse and stood out as a labor activist, especially promoting campaigns to reduce the workday for children under 13 to five hours, which is why they began to call her «Isabel five hours». Among other actions, she also actively participated in the campaign against conscription and in the advocacy for libraries for workers.

After the pronouncement of General Pavía (1874), she went into exile in Carcassonne, where she trained as a teacher. In 1880, she returned to Catalonia and became a teacher at the Republican Center of Sabadell, a school for girls that she directed until it was destroyed in 1895.