Desenterrando la represión de género: análisis de la violencia ejercida sobre las mujeres durante la Guerra Civil y la dictadura franquista en el suroeste de España

Abstract

La estrategia represiva franquista puesta en práctica a partir del golpe de estado del 17 de julio de 1936 desarrolló mecanismos complejos de castigo físico y psicológico. Dentro del sistema punitivo franquista existió un procedimiento específico aplicado a las mujeres republicanas. En este artículo se realiza un análisis de la represión sufrida por las mujeres durante la Guerra Civil y la dictadura franquista en España. Para ello, han sido analizadas historias de mujeres que sufrieron torturas físicas y psicoló- gicas, junto a fosas comunes que contenían cuerpos de mujeres represaliadas. Mi investigación está basada en un estudio holístico de fuentes orales y documentales junto al registro material de las fosas comunes, desde una perspectiva histórica, arqueológica y forense. Las conclusiones indican que las diferentes estrategias represivas utilizadas por el fascismo español contra la población femenina estu- vieron motivadas por la percepción de las mujeres como ciudadanas de segunda clase y, por lo tanto, inferiores a los hombres. Su castigo siguió criterios de ejemplaridad.

A Qualitative Study on Violence against Women during Franco’s Dictatorship in Spain

“…In Spain, there was a military uprising against the legitimate government of the Second Spanish Republic, which led to a civil war (1936)(1937)(1938)(1939). This conflict, with a strong ideological character, subjected the Spanish population to a major clash of political, economic and social ideas, which resulted in the "national uprising" in 1936, represented by the Popular Front and the Nationalists, supporters of the rebellion against the Republic [18,19]. On the 1st of April 1939 the Republic was defeated, establishing the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, who proclaimed himself Head of State and imposed a fascist regime (Francoism) in Spain that lasted until the approval of the Law for Political Reform in 1977 [19,20].…”

“…This conflict, with a strong ideological character, subjected the Spanish population to a major clash of political, economic and social ideas, which resulted in the "national uprising" in 1936, represented by the Popular Front and the Nationalists, supporters of the rebellion against the Republic [18,19]. On the 1st of April 1939 the Republic was defeated, establishing the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, who proclaimed himself Head of State and imposed a fascist regime (Francoism) in Spain that lasted until the approval of the Law for Political Reform in 1977 [19,20]. The dictatorship was characterised by severe repression that lasted significantly longer than in other Western countries [21].…”

“…It inevitably had a particular impact on the lives of women [16,22,23]. This context, characterised by a political and gender ideology, in which women were perceived to be intellectually inferior to men and unreliable [19], was the breeding ground for a surge in VAW at the time [22].…”

“…Many women were victims of physical, financial and psychological violence with the pretence of social organisation and moral cleansing [19,24]. According to Rodríguez-Teijeiro's study [14], based on court rulings, some women were abused and injured to such an extent that they had miscarriages or died.…”

“…In a highly patriarchal context, women lost their political rights through a discriminatory and paternalistic change in legislation [23]. They were confined to the domestic sphere, which became their life's purpose [16], and were humiliated if they transgressed gender values characterised by domesticity and female submissiveness [19].…”