- Amaia Herrero Oiarzabal (Vigo, 1973) has just published a book with sixteen women from Gorliz. The book contains many memories that have gone through their lives: childhood, communion, family, school, adolescence and marriage, among others. Herrero has studied English Philology and has held a master's degree on equality of women and men at the UPV/EHU. In addition to the book, we have talked with him about some interesting topics that appear in it.
What has the writing process been like?
The City Hall of Gorliz asked me for a project that would collect the contribution of women to the history of the people. I met them in the last quarter of 2018, we held meetings, and they told me what Gorliz was like 60 years ago. “But what I’m going to say to you, I don’t have anything special,” some people told me at the beginning. These women have lived through post-war and dictatorship, and in the book I have compiled some of the strategies with which they have survived at different times, among other things. They've felt taken over because they've given value to their life.
What's the topic that's most excited about you?
Maybe the importance that religion has had in their lives since childhood. They indoctrinated and imposed very rigid roles. Before going out in the street, for example, they had to take care of the house and the children and pray.
Most of the women were housewives...
That's right. In Gorliz, many men were seamen and had to stay away for a long time, so women alone had to leave the family. They were in charge of everything, of educating the children, of keeping the house...
An unthinkable life today...
I often wonder to what extent these women could live with that pressure. This issue of religion has attracted a lot of attention to me, but they consider it normal. As they've told me their experiences, I've also compared them with today's society.
Have the relationships between people changed a lot?
Mostly during courtship. The relations of that time had nothing to do with those of today. The relationship was very formal and fully controlled, boys and girls were given only their hand. Many women did not have a close relationship until the time they were going to live with their boyfriend. They couldn't go out dancing in the street and they had to delay their virginity.
Do you think that the new generations should be aware of these issues?
No doubt. I think young people have to be aware of how their grandmothers lived about 60 years ago. Many think that they have not fought, that they have easily adapted to the situation in which they lived. And that's not true. They also had the feminist awareness that we have today, and they fought for their rights and advanced in difficult situations. Throughout history, it seems that only men are important, as women's lives are not valued.
Were they trampled to death by the system?
Yes. Society has moved towards equality, but women’s problems with machismo are still today. We still have borders, we cannot be on the street at any hour of the night with complete peace of mind.
This news was posted by Hiruka and we brought it to ARGIA thanks to the CC-by-sa license.