María Campo Alange (María Laffitte)

Seville, 1902 – Madrid, 1986

María Laffitte y Pérez del Pulgar, Countess of Campo Alange, signed her books as María Campo Alange. Founder of the Seminar on Sociological Studies of Women (SESM), a self-taught writer and avid scholar, she surrounded herself with women who shared her interests. We owe her the continuation of women’s and feminist associations prior to 1936 during the dictatorship. Her dedication to the study of women as citizens and historical subjects gave rise to a body of work in which fiction, art criticism, memoirs and essays coexist.

Hello...

Months later, I learned that almost all young women suffered this form of rape.

It seems incredible, but in certain social classes in 1923, it was not considered appropriate for a young lady to know what happened on her wedding night. The link between women's bodies and ignorance about them can be traced throughout history and literature. It is interesting to note that the wise woman the author has become is able to explain with sincerity and without shame the extent of that ignorance and the impact that this deliberate lack of knowledge caused by those around her had on her own health and well-being.

The war between the sexes... a cold, latent, and hidden war... a mixture of protective attitude, sexual dominance, aggressiveness, and disdain for any opinion expressed by a woman.

Long before there was any talk of gender mainstreaming, María Campo Alange had already anticipated it when she realised that discrimination occurred in all areas of life. Nothing escapes the privileges of patriarchy and therefore nothing escapes discrimination. From her early years of marriage, already in Madrid, she observed this phenomenon and decided to devote herself to combating it through study and writing. Even though she was told that there was nothing left to say about the problem of women, she dedicated her life and her privileged position to continuing the rich history of Spanish feminism during the difficult middle decades of the last century.

At this point in my life, I have a profound impression that I am still being born.

María Campo Alange enjoyed a glorious maturity. Having accepted the physical changes that come with age and the progressive social invisibility that women suffer as they grow older, she felt immense pleasure in knowing that she had fulfilled herself intellectually. She does not long for her youth in Seville or her early years in Madrid because her dedication to study and writing feed her enthusiasm and curiosity in the autumn of her life. Under no circumstances would she want to return to the ignorance of her youth.