Personaje

Mercedes Sanz-Bachiller Izquierdo

Madrid; 17-07-1911 — 11-08-2007

Periodo de actividad: 1932 — 1979

Clasificación geográfica: Europa > España

Movimientos socio-culturales

Edad Contemporánea > Movimientos sociopolíticos > Autoritarismo > Fascismo

Hitos históricos > Guerra Civil Española

Grupos por ámbito de dedicación

Gobernantes > Políticas

Humanísticas > Juristas / Abogadas

Profesionales / Otros grupos > Trabajadoras sociales

Contexto de creación femenina

Fascism was one of the great totalitarian ideologies that emerged and developed in the inter-war period in Europe. Because it sought to keep women out of political and public life, women's involvement was achieved through fascist women's organisations such as the Women's Section in Spain, a reflection of others in other countries, which had strong parallels with the women's branch of German National Socialism. Despite this denial of women's external projection, many women managed to achieve a prominent public role.

In Italy, in the early 1920s, we find Ines Donati, a politician and follower of the first wave of the Italian Fascist movement.

In the United Kingdom and coming from the hardest sector of suffragism, we find some women who, in the ideological melting pot of the interwar period, evolved towards philo-fascist positions, such as Rotha Lintorn Orman, who in 1923 founded the first British fascist group, the British Fascisti, a group that dissolved with the appearance of the British Union of Fascists (BUF) in the 1930s, led by Oswald Mosley. Mary Allen, Norah Elam and Mary Richardson also represented this British line.

In Spain, Mercedes Formica combined her Falangist ideals with the defence of women's rights, which led her to "clash" with Franco's National Catholicism.

Along with Mercedes Sanz-Bachiller, María Victoria Eiroa, María de la Mora, Elisa de Lara, Teresa Loring and Mónica Plaza were members of the first Women's Section.

Pilar Primo de Rivera had many differences with Mercedes Sanz-Bachiller, in relation to the Women's Section, and with María Rosa Urraca Pastor, who headed the organisation "Frentes y Hospitales" ["Fronts and Hospitals"] and who came from the Carlist movement.

Reseña

An essential post-war and Francoist figure, whose political work continued during the first years of democracy. From within the Franco regime, she focused on creating support mechanisms for minors and women who were victims of the war. She founded the Auxilio de Invierno or Auxilio Social (the forerunner of Social Security, whose Ley de Bases she helped to develop), inspired by Nazi Germany, although it must be acknowledged that the Soviet Socorro Rojo is the forerunner of this type of institution. She was a staunch advocate of women's participation in politics, was a member of the National Council of FET y de las JONS and was a member of the Spanish Parliament during Franco's regime.

Actividades

La política social es cosa de mujeres. [es]
- España > Geografía e Historia > 3º ESO > Sociedades y territorios. Geografía. Historia. Historia del arte
- España > Geografía e Historia > 4º ESO > Sociedades y territorios. Geografía. Historia. Historia del arte

Justificaciones

Founder of the so-called "Auxilio de Invierno" ["Winter Aid"], later renamed "Auxilio Social" [Social Aid], inspired by Nazi Germany.
An essential post-war and Francoist figure, whose political work continued during the first years of democracy.
Her work focused on combating the nutritional problems of war orphans and protecting women victims of war and poverty.
She was a member of the National Council of FET y de las JONS.
Advocate of women's participation in politics.
Contributed to the creation of Social Security.

Biografía

[...] She was a Spanish woman, known for having been the founder of Auxilio Social, a charitable organisation that became very important in the early days of Franco's regime, after the death of her first husband, Onésimo Redondo, founder of the JONS. During Franco's regime she was a member of the Spanish Parliament representing the trade unions as head of the Obra Sindical de "Previsión Social" [Trade Union Welfare Fund] between 1943 and 1967.

There was some rivalry between the Auxilio Social and the Sección Femenina [Women's Section] the latter led by Pilar Primo de Rivera.

Mercedes was opposed to the very essence of the Women's Section as interpreted by Pilar Primo de Rivera, agreeing at the 1st National Council of the Women's Section (Salamanca and Valladolid between 6 and 9 January 1937) to incorporate the "Auxilio de Invierno" into the Falange, leaving Mercedes as provincial head of the Women's Section and provincial delegate of "Auxilio de Invierno". After the unification, Pilar was to impose her authority over the two organisations with which she had the greatest difficulties: Sanz-Bachiller's "Auxilio de Invierno" and "Frentes y Hospitales", led by María Rosa Urraca Pastor. In the summer of 1937 she visited Nazi Germany, where she studied the charitable institutions of the Third Reich and was awarded the German Red Cross.

In October 1937 she was appointed member of the 1st National Council of FET and the JONS. Her work in Social Aid was praised by Gregorio Marañón and Alexis Carrel.

In 1940, she was replaced as national delegate for Social Assistance by Manuel Martínez de Tena. She became a member of the Board of Directors of the Instituto Nacional de Previsión (INP) [National Insurance Institute], a body which, prior to the coup d'état, was the promoter of Social Security. She worked and played an important role in the development of the Law on the Bases of Social Security, being appointed rapporteur for the study of the draft law on the special agrarian social security system. She remained a member of the INP until 1979, in the midst of democracy. Her work was valued as an extraordinary case in the political scene of the time, which was mainly occupied by men. She always defended the participation of women in politics.

During Franco's regime, she was appointed Procurator in Parliament as head of the Obra Sindical de Previsión Social, from 1943 to 1976, during eight legislatures.

Source, retrieved on 15/03/2022, https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Sanz-Bachiller

Obras

Bibliografía

Pérez Espí, María Jesús (2021). Mercedes Sanz - Bachiller. Biografía política. Valencia: Universitat de Valencia.
Wikipedia, retrieved on 15/03/2022, https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_Sanz-Bachiller

Enfoque Didáctico

In addition to the subject of History in 4thESO, it can be used for the subject of Spanish History in 2nd Baccalaureate. In either of the two subjects, the aim would be to recognise the work of Mercedes Sanz-Bachiller during Francoism, taking into account her relationship with other women from the same environment who carried out similar tasks.

It is important to highlight the role that women played, even in times and places where politics was forbidden to them, in the development of social protection policies. It is also interesting to make them reflect on the contradictions of the Franco regime, which did not ignore the ability and work of women, while controlling all aspects of women's private and public life through organizations such as the Women's Section, led by the women themselves.