The long struggle for women’s emancipation: Carmen Baroja y Nessi, Zenobia Camprubí Aymar and María Teresa León Goyri

Abstract

The autobiographies of Carmen Baroja, Zenobia Camprubí and María Teresa León provide a deep understanding, in the context of the first half of the twentieth century, of the enormous effort made by a significant group of women from the Spanish liberal bourgeoisie to break with the feminization device, and hence with the weaker sex condition, which enabled them to achieve greater personal and professional autonomy. A socio-historical analysis of these women’s life trajectories shows that, to some extent, they were able to free themselves from the bonds of subjection in a society where a strong imbalance of power prevailed between classes and sexes. As we argue in this paper, some of the factors which enabled such a transformation were the economic and cultural capital of origin, the professional activities they engaged in, their participation in associations and women collectives, the social networks which supported them, and their resistance and tenacity against male domination. With the exception of the Second Spanish Republic, neither governments nor the vast majority of men from their surroundings joined or were partners in their projects to achieve greater emancipation.