The Women’s House of the City Council of Salamanca, located on Calle Lugo, is hosting the exhibition ‘Clara Campoamor: the woman beyond the vote’ from today until April 30, promoted by the professor Esther del Brío through photographs by David Corral. The exhibition can be visited from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00.
Derived from Esther del Brío’s eponymous story, awarded by the Parliamentary Press Association in 2023, the exhibition portrays, through 16 intimate photographs, how Clara Campoamor’s day would have unfolded when she achieved the triumph in favor of universal female suffrage for general elections in Spain. The author draws on her own parliamentary experience to delve into Clara’s inner and parliamentary struggle on the days of October 1 and December 1, 1931.
Esther del Brío is a Finance professor at the University of Salamanca, with over fifty high-impact scientific publications. Among the female figures she has extensively studied and published on are Clara Campoamor and Teresa de Jesús.
An emerging writer, already included in the registry of authors of the Women’s Legacy of Castilla y León, she stands out for works like the graphic novel ‘A Kiss on the Forehead’ against gender violence (adapted for the theater and with several associated exhibitions, one of which was displayed in the Spanish Senate in 2022).
She has also published children’s stories such as ‘The Forest of Economy’, a financial education project for children under ten. At Radio Universidad de Salamanca, she participates in a program on financial education, entrepreneurship, and equal opportunities.
On the other hand, David Corral is a photographer from Salamanca who has been practicing the profession in Madrid since 1999. At the beginning of his career, he had the renowned photographer Miguel Povedano as a teacher and mentor. Since then, he has worked in the Spanish Parliament. Over the past twenty-five years, his lens has captured all the political events, making him one of the key figures ensuring the graphic testimony in our nation’s history.
He has participated in individual and collective photographic exhibitions, including ‘This is Madrid’, ‘America’, ’30 Years of Constitution. Looks from History’, ‘Seats’, and ‘CreArte’. He has received various awards and recognitions, both from the Parliamentary Journalists Association and in national contests.
Salamanca, an example of equal opportunities
The Councilor for Family and Equal Opportunities, Miryam Rodríguez, highlighted during the exhibition’s inauguration that Salamanca is an example of equal opportunities, a city that promotes real equality in all areas of society. The City Council sensitizes and educates citizens on equality, emphasizing the preventive aspects of gender violence. Additionally, through educational, training, and recreational activities, the aim is to raise awareness about the harm and setbacks caused by inequality.
The exhibition is part of an extensive program organized by the City Council of Salamanca during the month of March around International Women’s Day. A series of events aimed at raising awareness among citizens about the necessary equality between women and men, as well as promoting awareness of existing gender inequalities and discrimination, and highlighting the empowerment and social participation of women in all areas.
Following the opening of the exhibition on Clara Campoamor, the events will continue tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5, at the Teatro Liceo at 8:00 p.m. with the music and dance show ‘The Weight of the Woman’ performed by the faculty of the School of Music and Dance of Santa Cecilia.
Its purpose is to highlight the role of women in traditional culture, understanding that they are great transmitters of a legacy deeply rooted in villages, in roots, and at the same time often forgotten in society.
On Friday, March 7, at 6:00 p.m. at the Teatro Liceo, the main event will take place to recognize three women for their outstanding professional and public service careers: Ascensión Iglesias Redondo, María Patrocinio Rodríguez Pedraza, and Teresa Peramato Martín. The singer and composer Sheila Blanco will perform during the gala.
On March 10, at 8:00 p.m. at the Women’s House, the book ‘Revictimized’ by Raquel López Merchán will be presented. The author analyzes the prejudices and stereotypes that haunt «irregular» migrant women and provides a wealth of information and useful resources for professionals working with these women and for anyone interested in understanding this often invisible social issue.
On March 13, at 11:00 a.m., the Word Room of the Teatro Liceo will host the event ‘Women, Generations, and Perspectives’. In addition to lectures, there will be a round table discussion ‘Connecting Generations’ with three women from the same family (grandmother, mother, and daughter) to address the evolution of society through their experiences.
On March 20, at 8:00 p.m. at the Teatro Liceo, the award-winning play ‘Through the Keyhole’ will be performed. This show by the International Theater Company Rayuela, under the direction of Gonzalo Fernández López, presents a humorous chronicle of the masks people wear.
All activities are free, and invitations to attend cultural events can be requested through the website of the Salamanca City of Culture and Knowledge Foundation.
Municipal School of Equality
In addition to these events, the quarterly program of the Municipal School of Equality continues, with an increase in activities compared to previous periods, including six workshops, two conferences, guided tours, an exhibition, and two cultural events.
Building on previous success and great acceptance, the Women’s House Clara Campoamor hosts self-defense workshops for women led by officers from the Local Police of Salamanca. The next session, with four sessions lasting an hour and a half each, will be on March 11, 13, 18, and 20 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Also ongoing is the charro folklore workshop ‘Living our Traditions’, for adults accompanied by minors, i.e., family-friendly, every Thursday until March 20, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.; and the workshop to introduce mindfulness practice to adult women, with sessions from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., the next ones on March 11 and 18.
One of the new additions is a workshop on theater writing taught by Roberto García Encinas, exploring the legacy of unknown playwrights by creating stories that give visibility to women’s realities, culminating in a dramatized reading of the best selected works. The upcoming sessions, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., will take place on March 10 and 17.
Registrations can be done in person at the Women’s House or online through the QR code included in the posters, also available on the municipal website www.aytosalamanca.es It is worth noting that, to facilitate reconciliation, all activities include a childcare service, available upon prior request.
Finally, in the first quarter of the year, in collaboration with Salamanca Tourism, the guided tours ‘Salamanca with a Woman’s Voice’ return to discover their role in the history and heritage of the city of Salamanca. The upcoming dates are March 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, and 18. Starting at 4:30 p.m. from Plaza Mayor, with prior registration through the website www.salamancaymas.com, they will last approximately two hours.