Queen Letizia Leads 90th Anniversary Of Women´s Suffrage Commemoration

Queen Letizia  attended a commemorative event last week, celebrating the 90th anniversary of the granting of the vote for women at the Congress of Deputies in Madrid.

The event was also attended by the Senate Speaker, Pilar Llop and the Congress of Deputies Speaker, Meritxell Batet, as well as the First Deputy Prime Minister, Carmen Calvo.

The Queen, enveiled a commemorative desk by the bust of Clara Campoamor who was instrumental in achieving female suffrage in Spain, which was finally declared a constitutional right by the 2nd Republic in 1931.

Clara Campoamor, (1888 – 1972) was a leading feminist figure in the 1920s and 30s and was one of the drafters of the new republic´s constitution which enshrined for the first time, women´s rights in Spain.

Campoamor, was born in Madrid rising from humble beginnings to champion the equality of men and women in all aspects of Spanish life and was herself elected to the 1931 parliament before the introduction of the female franchise.

However many of her views, especially her anti-clerical stance proved too divisive for her party and she had many detractors – including many women.

She lost her seat in 1933 and on the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, three years later, fled to Switzerland.

She was barred from returning to Francoist Spain, unless she gave up names of allies and publicly apologized for her statements against the Catholic Church – which she refused to do.

She continued to champion women´s rights until her death in exile in 1972.

Since the restoration of democracy with the Constitution of 1978, women´s rights were restored and enhanced.

Last month the United Nations lauded Spain on having one of the highest percentage of women in politics of any country in the world.

Most recently as last month, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, announced that all four of the government´s deputy Prime Ministers are now women.