Presenter(s): Monica Silverman—International Studies
Faculty Mentor(s): Yvonne Braun
Session 3: The Way We Were
My thesis research analyzes the social and political history of abortion legalization in Spain, and explores the implications of this history for modern reproductive health discourse and policy throughout the country . Abortion was officially legalized in Spain for the first time in 2010 and saw much political and social backlash . The contemporary policies regarding reproductive rights in the
country are deeply connected to events during the almost 40-year-long dictatorship of Francisco Franco . From 1939, right after the Spanish Civil War, up until his death in 1975, Francisco Franco ruled Spain under a fascist dictatorship, maintaining control through repressive means and implementing a politically and socially conservative plan for Spain in collaboration with the Catholic Church . This relationship between church and state produced an environment in which a narrow version of religious morality dictated women’s autonomy in the public sphere and over their own bodies . This thesis explores the historical ties to the gendered policies and societal norms which were constructed in Franco’s Spain and largely persisted through democratization . Drawing on secondary sources, I specifically argue that rigid gendered ideologies and systematic disenfranchisement of women has been pervasive in Spanish society under both fascist and democratic regimes . Patriarchal systems of oppression have thereby persisted despite political change . Additionally, I have discovered that Spain has made enormous progress relating to reproductive justice even as there are still significant areas for improvement . A strong Spanish feminist movement continues to fight for these improvements, including equitable access to reproductive healthcare and education .