Just a few days ago on March 8th, the world, including the Hispanic world, celebrated International Women’s Day, or el Día Internacional de la Mujer.
In Spain, there were a series of nationwide events advocating for gender equality and highlighting women’s contributions across various sectors.
Major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, and Valencia hosted diverse activities, including marches, festivals, and exhibitions, drawing attention to ongoing efforts towards achieving gender equality. What made this day so impactful were the marches that took place in Madrid, especially “Ellas crean” that brought together new female figures from the world of film, literature, music, theatre and many other disciplines to fight together for political and societal change. These activities are key to not only highlight the ongoing need for gender equality but also to highlight the accomplishments of women and to celebrate how far we have come.
Especially in Spain, where women were considered as completely inferior to men during Franciso Franco’s reign, women lived in a time where everything they did had to be under the permission of their husband. The post-Franco era marked a pivotal shift, culminating in the 1978 Constitution, which heavily advanced gender equality.
Despite these advancements, the 2025 International Women’s Day events demonstrated both the progress made and the work still required to achieve full gender equality in Spain.
