On a day like today, 90 years ago, during the Second Republic, the right to vote in Spain for women over 23 years of age was approved, with 161 votes in favour and 131 against, thus allowing half of the population to be visible in the public and political sphere. On that October 1st, MP Clara Campoamor managed to convince the rest of her colleagues that, despite their fear, it was necessary to advance in equality between women and men.
Now, nine decades later, Mijas has wanted a promenade, located next to María Zambrano avenue in Las Lagunas, to be named after this woman.
“The equality in the right to vote, that today we consider an indisputable part of democratic principles, was not an easy or unanimous decision. Even so, reason prevailed over prejudice and this right was won thanks to Clara Campoamor”, highlighted the councillor for Equality and Diversity in Mijas, Natalia Martínez (PSOE), on Friday 1st of October, during the inauguration of the walk. The proposal to name this passage after Clara Campoamor was approved last August in plenary session.
“Today, Mijas establishes forever this space dedicated not only to her, but to each and every one of those great fighters, grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters, who every day give their best to create a better society”, said the mayor of Mijas, Josele González (PSOE), during this tribute.
A deserved tribute
In addition to representatives of the municipal corporation, students from the IES Sierra de Mijas and members of women’s groups from the municipality also attended this event.
The councillor of the Partido Popular in Mijas, Daniel Gómez, described Campoamor as “a brave woman who fought in difficult times, when men had power that, little by little, has been diminishing and society is becoming more egalitarian”.
“Clara Campoamor defended the right to vote that all women in Spain can enjoy today, deserving this commemoration and tribute on one of the most important and busy roads in our municipality, the María Zambrano Avenue”, said the spokesman for the Municipal Socialist group, Roy Pérez.
“I am infinitely grateful for myself, my daughter, my granddaughters and all the subsequent generations who, thanks to this woman, will be able to continue exercising their right to vote. We should recognise her feat more often”, said the president of the Casa Luna Women’s Circle, Silvia Mengíbar.
Education in equality
For her part, the councillor for Education in the Mijas Town Hall, Mariló Olmedo (Cs), appreciated the work that is carried out from the educational centres to remember the achievements made throughout history by women. “It is important that today’s youth are aware of where we come from; of the important step that was taken 90 years ago and the struggle that has continued since then to achieve real equality between men and women”, argued the councillor. During the act, Eva Rodríguez, a student at the Sierra de Mijas IES, was in charge of reading a part of the speech that Campoamor pronounced in the Constituent Courts of October 1931. “It would be a profound political error to leave women outside that right”, said one of the excerpts. In addition to the walk, María Zambrano avenue features a mural by ceramist José Angulo; a painting in tiles of a true photo of Campoamor.
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