Emilia Pardo Bazán

Emilia Pardo Bazán was a writer and feminist who was particularly focused on rights for women in education. From a young age she began her education because her father believed in the intellectual equality of men and women. Her writing was primarily based in realism and naturalism, but she wrote over 600 stories of varying content. She wrote extensively about social issues in her efforts to advance women’s education and increase their rights. She challenged traditional gender roles and was even the first woman professor in Spain. She taught courses in modern literature, however she, and her students, faced a lot of discrimination because of her gender. Students were afraid to go to her class because other (male) professors wouldn’t sign their theses or dissertations. Overall, Emilia is a prominent Spanish feminist who advocated and changed the landscape of education for women. 

Emilia Pardo Bazán is important historically and culturally because of her works of literature and the modern ideas she had for her time. She was a pioneering female author and broke through barriers that existed for women during this time. She regularly advocated for women’s rights as well, introducing these ideas to the Spanish people. She challenged society’s expectations for women and was an example of all that women are capable of. She contributed to the advancement of the feminist movement in Spain and left a lasting legacy. Her literary works also stood the testament of time and continue to be read worldwide (El Pratt can testify to that!)

Unfortunately, like many of our important women, I don’t think that Emilia Pardo Bazán has been commemorated well. She does have a lovely statue that we were able to visit, but there is nothing about her accomplishments there that I saw; simply her name on the statue. I think that Spain could go further in recognizing her for her accomplishments and educating people about her. A good step might be to put information about her next to her statue so everybody who passes has the opportunity to learn. This woman was an incredible author and feminist and she deserves to be more well known for her achievements and the work she did to further feminism and literature.