How the Role of Women in Spain Changed Since the Second Republic to the Present
How the Role of Women in Spain changed since the Second Republic to the present
The role of women in Spain has changed drastically over the 20th Century; from the dictatorships to the current government where there are currently nine government ministries held by women, including the first ever female defence minister, Carme Chacón. Within this essay, I will be reviewing the factors that have led to the evolution of the role of the Spanish woman.
Since the Second Republic, the role of women has changed significantly, where reforms for women were introduced. Although women were given municipal suffrage in 1924, it was essentially meaningless under the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, as they were strongly discouraged from participating. This was the general situation for women before General Franco’s era. A movement for women's rights began in the early twenties, but had a reformist and careerist orientation, which centred upon women in the professional sector.
As a result of this movement, the Second Republic Constitution of 1931 brought votes for both sexes at twenty-three, a radical departure from the contemporary ideals of the time. The Republic brought measures for education and secularisation which also included provision for divorce if "just cause" was evident. Despite the widespread belief that women were ‘inferior’ to men, many women started to become involved in politics. These measures encouraged women to engage in all aspects of Spanish society through collectives and trade unions.
In extreme cases the social conditions for Spanish women prior to 1936 were highly repressive. Work undertaken by them was hard, long and poorly paid and when improvements did occur, they benefitted men predominantly. This period also introduced reforms such as maternity compensation which were embedded in the policies of most progressive groups, such as within the region of Catalonia. Thus setting it as an important progression towards the equality of women in Spanish
The role of women in Spain has changed drastically over the 20th Century; from the dictatorships to the current government where there are currently nine government ministries held by women, including the first ever female defence minister, Carme Chacón. Within this essay, I will be reviewing the factors that have led to the evolution of the role of the Spanish woman.
Since the Second Republic, the role of women has changed significantly, where reforms for women were introduced. Although women were given municipal suffrage in 1924, it was essentially meaningless under the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, as they were strongly discouraged from participating. This was the general situation for women before General Franco’s era. A movement for women's rights began in the early twenties, but had a reformist and careerist orientation, which centred upon women in the professional sector.
As a result of this movement, the Second Republic Constitution of 1931 brought votes for both sexes at twenty-three, a radical departure from the contemporary ideals of the time. The Republic brought measures for education and secularisation which also included provision for divorce if "just cause" was evident. Despite the widespread belief that women were ‘inferior’ to men, many women started to become involved in politics. These measures encouraged women to engage in all aspects of Spanish society through collectives and trade unions.
In extreme cases the social conditions for Spanish women prior to 1936 were highly repressive. Work undertaken by them was hard, long and poorly paid and when improvements did occur, they benefitted men predominantly. This period also introduced reforms such as maternity compensation which were embedded in the policies of most progressive groups, such as within the region of Catalonia. Thus setting it as an important progression towards the equality of women in Spanish