“Feminism is a way of life, that of women who fight every day for effective equality.” The phrase from Laura Montilla Díaz, an EL PERIÓDICO reader who lives in Vacarisses, perfectly summarizes the spirit of 8M All Year. They know that it is the newspaper’s editorial commitment in favor of equality, which has been repeated month after month without interruption for almost two years now, with the participation of the entire editorial team and with the unwavering encouragement of the deputy editor Carol Álvarez (author of the weekly newsletter Con Letra de Mujer) and myself.
The fight for equality was not born yesterday and it is the responsibility of society to make visible and recognize all those women who, throughout history, without wanting to be feminists, were very much so. They broke the roles they were supposed to play, which had been written by men and for men, and they became the protagonists of their own lives. Feminism before feminism.
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To better understand the pivotal contribution made by these pioneers of women’s empowerment, we must revisit the figure of Mercè Rodoreda, the writer most universal Catalan, author of Diamant Square. The work, which narrates the life journey of a young pastry chef from Barcelona, is currently on display at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya. Directed by Carlota Subirós, it shows that a classic like this, set in Spain that takes place during the Second Republic, the Civil War and the first decade of the postwar period, can and should have a feminist perspective. The protagonist’s defense of equality, even far from feminism as we know it today, is universal, connects with the younger generations and exposes some sexist behaviors that are still very much alive today..
In this context, it is essential to investigate female historical memory and recognize the women of whom our Vacarisses reader will be proud.