The Councillor for Women and Equality, Gala de la Calzada, attended the first talk of the conference series 'La Historia no contada' at the José Saramago Cultural Center, focusing on the role of women throughout history. The speaker, María Soledad Ferrer-Vidal Díaz del Riguero, a historian from the University of Castilla-La Mancha and specialist in Medieval History, presented on the topic 'Encerrar el convento para controlar los cuerpos.'
De la Calzada praised the speaker for bringing contemporary relevance to the realities of women's convent life, a lesser-known chapter in women's history that has significant importance, especially in Spain. She noted that convents were not merely places of seclusion; they were centers for education, reading, writing, artistic creation, and knowledge transmission. For many women, religious life was an imposition, while for others, it offered an alternative to the limited social roles available to them. Therefore, it is crucial to adopt an unbiased perspective to discover how many women managed to create spaces for knowledge, participation, and sometimes even authority and recognition in a society where equality was still unattainable.
De la Calzada emphasized that 'the history of humanity has primarily been told by men,' and through this series, the City Council and the Women's Center aim to highlight great thinkers, scientists, and discoverers, as well as the everyday women who have played significant roles in paving the way for current equality. These are often invisible stories of pioneering women and essential events that have not always received the recognition they deserve in collective memory.
The Councillor encouraged citizens to attend the upcoming talks in the series, which will take place every Tuesday this month at 19:00 at the José Saramago Cultural Center, with free admission. She reaffirmed the City Council of Albacete's commitment to equality, valuing women's legacies, and using culture as a tool for reflection and transformation.
