Sección Femenina

The Sección Femenina (SF, dt Female Section) was a women's organization within the fascist Spanish Falange party and later the official wife representation of the " National Movement " (Spanish: Movimiento Nacional ) during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. The SF came time its existence to up to 680,000 members.

History

In 1934, Pilar Primo de Rivera, sister of José Antonio Primo de Rivera and daughter of former dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera, the Sección Femenina of the Falange within. In the early years of the Second Republic, the SF cared primarily about party members in prisons and their families during the Civil War primarily to the bereaved families of the fascist soldiers. Mostly, they were responsible for organizational and supportive services, such as the issue of nutrition and ration cards. However, unlike some members of the Mujeres Libres, the largest women's organization of the opposing side, they took no direct part in fighting.

The Winter Relief, founded in October 1936 by the SF- member Mercedes Sanz - Bachiller proved to be very successful and it created tensions between Sanz - Bachiller and Primo de Rivera, who feared for their authority. The Winter Relief in 1937 but was separated from the SF and renamed social assistance (Spanish Auxilio Social). In Sanz -Bach Illers suggestion also a compulsory social services for women was introduced in the same year.

The SF 1939 was elevated to the only legitimate representation of women in Spain and took care of until its dissolution in 1977, in particular to the education of children in accordance with those of the party.

Ideology

Many of the women who were organized in the SF, saw themselves not necessarily as fascists, but enthusiastic especially for the religious and the social demands of the Falange and the Movimiento Nacional later. The political orientation of the organization resembled himself largely with that of the party and can be roughly described as Christian Nationalsyndikalismus, but syndicalism lost after the war increasingly important. Feminism, as represented him as the Mujeres Libres, was rejected according to the party line, the traditional image of the family was instead upheld and rejected an equality of women towards the man.

" The real duty of women against the fatherland is to start a family in which they cherish everything that is traditional. What we will never do is to embark in a contest with the men, because we will never attain equality with them and instead lose all the elegance and grace, which is essential for a harmonious coexistence. "