Senoritas in Blue

This book - now in paperback - explores the role played by the Female Section of the Spanish Fascist Party (Seccion Femenina de la Falange - SF) in promoting women's political and professional rights within the authoritarian Franco regime in Spain. While acknowledging the organizational and financial ties, as well as the great ideological affinity between the SF and the regime, the book demonstrates how the SF's national leadership promoted an autonomous social and political agenda. Despite the need to constantly maneuver between the cultural and legal dictates of Francoist society, the unique activities and personal experiences of SF members at the heart of political power became a model for an array of policies and reforms that greatly improved the lives of Spanish women. From a unique gender perspective, consideration of the Seccin Femenina de la Falange contributes to the debate on the nature of authoritarian regimes by reflecting on issues of policy formation and implementation,

Explores the role played by the Female Section of the Spanish Fascist Party (Seccion Femenina de la Falange - SF) in promoting women's political and professional rights within the authoritarian Franco regime in Spain. This book demonstrates how the SF's national leadership promoted an autonomous social and political agenda.

Introduction; Prologue: The Birth of a Female Political Elite; Nurses & Students: Education, Professional Training & the Civil War Experience in the Shaping of Two Generations of Leadership; The National Syndicalist Woman: The Genealogy of a Gender Identity; Bridging the Gap between Elitist & Mass Politics: Gender Legislation of the Seccion Femenina de la FET; Am I that Body? Seccion Femenina de la FET & the Struggle for the Institution of Physical Education & Competitive Sports for Women; Conclusions; Index.