Book review: Free women of Spain by Martha A. Acklesberg

iberia | culture | review Friday January 25, 2008 01:38 by Karine - Common Cause

Karine looks at a book that summarizes the experiences of women anarchist organizers during the Spanish revolution

Martha Acklesbergs, in Free Women of Spain, reviews the history of the struggle for women's emancipation in Spain, before and during the civil war, especially that of the Mujeres Libres, a group of libertarian women in many parts of Spain. She introduces us to their struggle by interviewing some of the women that were involved in the Mujeres Libres who explain their role and contribution during the civil war, but also the difficulties they accountered, within the male-dominated organizations (CNT, FIJL and many others) of getting their voices heard.

Nevertheless, they always believed in the importance of working together within these organizations while having their own organization in order to develop their sense of self and the skills they would need to believe in their own capacities. This book is about empowerment, equality and the need to build community organizations. Mujeres Libres was a group that was able to reach up to 20,000 women, by, but not only by, distributing their newspapers and offering courses and programs for women's interests. Many of us can learn a lot from their experience by reading this book because it reminds us we have to fight inequality, not only outside in the society, but also within our own organizations. It is book that I, myself, felt very empowered by and I hope it can reach you the same way.