JURIDICAL EQUALITY. A HISTORICAL ASPIRATION OF THE WOMEN'S FIGHT (1975-1981)

Abstract

The 20th November 1975 was a decisive date in the contemporary history of Spain. The death of the dictator put an end to a period characterised by repression and the absence of freedoms. Most of the population received the news with concern, given the unknown future that lay ahead and the fear of a revival of the civil conflict that ravaged the country between 1936 and 1939. Fortunately, these predictions did not come true. On the contrary, consensus reigned among the main political forces, and the opportunity was seized to establish a democratic system in which the fundamental rights of citizens were guaranteed. At this juncture, it is worth highlighting the arduous work that was carried out for the configuration of an egalitarian legal system that would leave behind discrimination against women, both in the public sphere and in the family and private spheres. This research has been devoted to the latter issue, delving into the work of outstanding jurists such as María Telo Núñez, who participated in two transcendental modifications of the Civil Code, on the one hand, the one carried out in 1975 and, on the other, the one that involved the reintroduction of the institution of divorce in Spain.