The Movimiento Democrático de Mujeres (MDM; English: Women's Democratic Movement) was an underground feminist organization that was active during the late stages of the Spanish Franco regime in the mid-1970s.
It was led by women such as Dulcinea Bellido, Maruja Cazcarra, Paquita Martín de Isidro, Carmen Rodríguez, and other independent feminists with the aim of building alliances with non-party female activists.
[3] Utilizing entryism, maintaining a non-sectarian outlook, and emphasizing coalition-building and consciousness raising, MDM sought to mobilize women such as housewives who were not particularly experienced in organizing — specifically food insecurity and spousal persecution campaigns.
On July 18, 1936 General Francisco Franco and his military forces led a revolt against the left Republican government that would turn into a long lasting and brutal civil war for Spain.
Laws passed under the Franco regime made it so women were an accessory to their husbands with reduced social rights; they were barred from divorce, equal education, job opportunities, and more.
[4] The MDM was not necessarily motivated by feminist understandings or issues of gender conflict; rather, it attempted to mobilize those in the labor movement on a localized level as a way to oppose the Franco dictatorship.
[7] As time went on, they began to fight against food shortages, sought to promote sexual equality, and created facilities that would assist them in child-rearing and maintaining their homes, including nurseries and cantinas.
Some radical activists preferred the prioritization of working women or wives of workers in mobilization and active participation, with explicit exclusion of the rest of the population considered to be too privileged.
More radical feminists and those who acknowledged the intersection of gender and class believed that doble militancia should be rejected in favor of exclusive focus on women’s group activism.
[7] Some radicals also rejected cooperation and collaboration with male-dominated political parties, but the MDM primarily agreed to work with a variety of spheres of Spanish society in solidarity against Franco.
[6] Another shortcoming of the Movimiento Democrático de Mujeres that contributed to its eventual decline in membership and influence was the experiences of allied organizations alluding to colonization.
It is generally referred to when discussing the fascist regime of the twentieth century, especially how feminist advocacy and activism helped secure women's rights and freedoms in Spain.
[12] Although the MDM no longer works as the nationwide platform for female mobilization, it furthers its legacy through spreading information and engaging with the public, allowing women to both understand domestic and national issues while also contributing their opinions and having their voices heard.