A-Infos (en) Italy, FAI, Umanita Nova #23-26 - Mujeres Libres: "A Light That Came On." Anarchist Women in the Spanish Revolution and Civil War (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

To understand the role anarchist women played in the war and the Spanish 
Revolution of 1936, I had to rely on oral sources, that is, interviews 
with the protagonists who played a central role in these historical 
events. Women have often been rendered invisible in historical 
narratives, although their presence, in this case, was clearly evident 
in photographs and documentaries of the time. I was fortunate to conduct 
a dozen direct interviews with anarchist activists from different parts 
of Spain who had experienced and participated in revolutionary 
initiatives, both behind the lines and at the front, during the 
three-year period from 1936 to 1939. Gathering their experiences, hopes, 
and commitment to this revolutionary economic and social transformation 
was the highlight of my research.

It is impossible to fully understand their significant presence and role 
in the social revolution without considering the precedents established 
by the proclamation of the Second Republic in 1931. The elections that 
marked its birth saw the defeat of the monarchist and right-wing parties 
that had supported Primo de Rivera's dictatorship for seven years. The 
Republic sought to modernize Spain's political, social, economic, and 
cultural life and give women a greater role. Anarcho-syndicalist unions 
were legalized, and their ideas spread thanks to their presence in 
public life, the circulation of their publications, rationalist schools, 
and libertarian athenaeums. At the same time, the first women's 
organizations, predominantly anarchist, anti-fascist, and communist, 
began to emerge.

The military uprising of July 18, 1936, supported by large landowners, 
the upper middle class, and the Church, arose in opposition to this 
modernization of the Republic. A civil war ensued, characterized by a 
fierce conflict in which the insurgents attempted to physically 
eliminate all opposition, from anarchists and socialists to communists 
and republicans. The coup was met with a popular response, with the 
anarcho-syndicalist National Confederation of Labour (CNT) playing a 
leading role, particularly in Barcelona and throughout Catalonia. 
Workers and peasants, organized within the CNT and the socialist General 
Union of Workers (UGT), seized the opportunity to bring about a 
revolutionary transformation of the economy and society. In areas where 
resistance to the coup was successful, a broad movement emerged, 
characterized by the creation of militias (in the military), 
agricultural and industrial collectivization (in the economy), and a 
prominent role for unions and grassroots organizations (in society). 
Women also assumed a much more active role in public life, bringing 
about significant changes in everyday life.

Women on the front and in the rear

Women were assigned rearguard duties, replaced men in factory work, and 
participated in collectivization efforts organized in various economic 
sectors, both in cities and rural areas. The testimonies of anarchist 
women reveal their shared desire to be "useful to the revolution," to 
use their own words. Those most active during the Republic, former 
militants of the CNT, the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI), or the 
Iberian Federation of Libertarian Youth (FIJL), assumed greater 
responsibilities both in the rearguard and on the war front, fighting 
alongside their anarchist comrades in the militias. Among younger women, 
an "awakening" occurred following the military coup; they began a social 
and political commitment aimed at consolidating the new society. They 
intensified their activities, bringing about a change that forever 
transformed their identity. Many began their activism during this period 
by joining the FIJL or Mujeres Libres, or by regularly attending 
libertarian universities. At the same time, they abandoned their 
previous jobs to take on roles more instrumental to the revolution, 
working as nurses, as secretaries at revolutionary committees, in 
educational and social welfare centers, or within collectivizations.

At the same time, a personal revolution took place. Women freed 
themselves from the subordination and marginalization they had 
previously endured. Many young women seized the opportunity to increase 
their independence by living with their partners or friends, forming 
voluntary or informal unions. For many young women, raised with the 
expectation of marriage and motherhood, new life priorities emerged, 
accompanied by greater engagement in the public sphere and increased 
personal maturity.

The dissemination of contraceptive methods and birth control was 
strengthened. From the Generalitat of Catalonia, the renowned 
libertarian doctor Félix Martí Ibáñez, appointed Director General of 
Health and Social Care, drafted the decree legalizing voluntary abortion 
in December 1936. Furthermore, the Mujeres Libres organization promoted 
the concept of "conscious motherhood" from the Maternity Center in 
Barcelona, led by activist Áurea Cuadrado, through courses aimed at 
women to make free choices on this topic.

Women were organized into two main groups, both very active during the 
conflict: the Antifascist Women's Association (AMA) and Free Women. The 
former, communist-leaning, led by Dolores Ibárruri, prioritized war 
victory over revolutionary goals. Its activities focused, among other 
things, on establishing daycare centers, sending aid to the front and 
refugees, and training female workers to increase productivity. The 
issue of women's emancipation, however, was not addressed. The 
organization operated in the rearguard, the designated place for women 
in their support of the Republic. Ultimately, the AMA reinforced the 
maternal, caring, and domestic roles traditionally assigned to women in 
society. The association had approximately 60,000 members.

Mujeres Libres, precedent of anarcho-feminism

The other organization was Mujeres Libres, which, despite its anarchist 
inspiration, maintained its autonomy from the CNT. It was founded in 
April 1936, concurrently with the magazine of the same name, which 
published 13 issues during the war. Its founders were Lucía Sánchez 
Saornil, Mercedes Comaposada, and Amparo Poch y Gascón. The organization 
eventually numbered approximately 20,000 members. They believed it was 
essential to dedicate the same commitment to the revolution as they did 
to the anti-fascist struggle.

Mujeres Libres promoted women's emancipation from the triple bondage to 
which they were subjected: ignorance, women, and producers. It did not 
explicitly define itself as anarchist, but rather aspired to be an 
apolitical and class-based association dedicated to women's 
emancipation. The organization stood apart from other women's groups of 
the time and anticipated later anarcha-feminism, although its members 
never identified themselves as feminists , believing the word applied to 
bourgeois women and suffragists. Its original approach lay in the belief 
that the struggle for women's liberation would not end with the end of 
capitalism, but with the abolition of patriarchy and female subordination.

The modernity of the principles expressed by Mujeres Libres was not 
understood at the time by fellow fighters nor by many anarchist 
militants like Federica Montseny, who believed that both genders should 
fight together, within the same organization, to overthrow capitalism 
and build a new society. Testimonies from members of the organization 
explain the role and impact this experience had on their lives: " It was 
a detonator"; "It was like a light that went on"; "It wanted to give 
women a personality"; "It encouraged women to be courageous."

To eliminate the widespread ignorance and illiteracy in 1930s Spain, 
Mujeres Libres made the creation of an all-female educational network 
one of its top priorities, through courses, conferences, debates, and 
reading workshops. It also offered training in new professions to 
facilitate women's integration into the new revolutionary society. The 
first Mujeres Libres Institute, the Casal de la Dona Treballadora, 
opened in Barcelona in late 1936, with similar centers subsequently 
opening in Madrid and Valencia. These initiatives were highly 
successful, garnering widespread support from young working women.

By the end of 1938, the courses involved approximately 800 women from 
various neighborhoods of Barcelona. They could choose from a wide range 
of educational offerings, from basic education (reading, writing, 
arithmetic, geography, grammar, natural sciences, etc.) to language 
learning, typing, and shorthand, to professional training courses in 
nursing, childcare, business, tailoring, and eldercare, or even social 
work. All these activities were completely free. At the same time, they 
could train for professions useful to the war industry, roles once 
considered male, such as welding, assembly, and milling, working in the 
railway and aeronautical sectors. They also worked in construction, 
performing arduous tasks in the construction of shelters and assisting 
specialized craftsmen. In urban transport, they could train as tram or 
bus drivers.

To end their condition of slavery as women, Mujeres Libres promoted 
campaigns to defend women's dignity, aiming to eradicate prostitution. 
These initiatives targeted prostitutes, encouraging them to abandon 
their profession and pursue other occupations. Some women heeded the 
call and began frequenting the Casal de la Dona Treballadora in 
Barcelona. The same goal was pursued by the Liberatorios de 
Prostitución, an initiative promoted by F. Martí Ibáñez of the 
Generalitat of Catalonia.

The third slavery was linked to production and discrimination at work, 
with wages much lower than those of males.

As the armed conflict continued and spread, Mujeres Libres established 
chapters to provide aid and assistance to soldiers. The organization 
promoted visits to the various war fronts, distributing parcels, books, 
and other requested supplies. Reception centers were also set up for 
soldiers returning on leave. At the same time, residential facilities 
were established in several neighborhoods of Barcelona to care for the 
children of refugees, many of whom came from Madrid. Truckloads of food 
aid were sent to the capital, which returned with children and elderly 
people seeking refuge in Catalonia.

Ultimately, during these years of war and revolution, the Mujeres Libres 
organization played a significant role in many areas of social, 
political, and economic life, marking a further step toward women's 
emancipation. A transformation began that shifted mentalities, 
personalities, activities, and roles from the private sphere (marriage 
and motherhood) to the public sphere of the new society.

For the anarchist women interviewed, building the new revolutionary 
society represented one of the culminating moments of their lives, as 
they were able to experience the utopia and atmosphere of solidarity and 
brotherhood they had always dreamed of. This light still burns today, 90 
years later.

Eulalia Vega

Barcelona, July 2026

https://umanitanova.org/mujeres-libres-una-luce-che-si-accese-donne-anarchiche-nella-rivoluzione-e-guerra-di-spagna/
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