In Cuesta del Rosario Square of Seville stands a bronze statue of a young girl reading an oversized book titled Clara Campoamor. It honors the women’s rights activist, lawyer, and politician, Clara Campoamor, who led the fight for Spanish women voting rights. The Swedish artist Anne Jonsson created the monument, saying “My thoughts were, ‘How do you pay homage to a person you really admire? How do you get people to want to learn more about her?’ Typically, you would recommend a book by or about that person. So I created a girl in a space of her own, her room with toys and books.” The plaque on the bronze pedestal reads in Spanish: THE CITY OF SEVILLA IN MEMORY OF CLARA CAMPOAMOR FOR HER UNPARALLELED CONTRIBUTION TO THE FREEDOM OF WOMEN WHICH WAS HER FIGHT IS PART OF THE PRESENCE OF OUR RIGHTS. SEVILLA CITY HALL EQUALITY AREA GABIANA WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION SAN FERNANDO BANK AUTHOR ANNA JONSSON THIS WORK WAS AWARDED IN THE CONTEST SCULPTURE CAMPOAMOR HOUSE CELEBRATED IN ITS COMMEMORATION IN SEVILLA IN MARCH 2007 Clara Campoamor (1888-1972) was born into a working-class family in Madrid. Since she was 13, she worked in addition to her studies to support her mother and younger siblings. Later on, she worked as a teacher and journalist while becoming involved in the Madrid political scene. In her mid-30s, she became only the second woman to become a member of the Madrid Bar Association. In her private practice, she specialized in women’s and children’s issues, defending women’s rights in divorce and paternity cases, and fighting for child labor laws. Her activism work continued in the organizations she co-founded, such as the International Federation of Women Lawyers and the Spanish Women’s League for Peace. In 1931, upon the formation of the Second Spanish Republic, Campoamor was among the 21 deputies elected to draft the constitution. The inclusion of women’s voting rights in the constitution met with opposition from both sides of the Parliament, including members of her party, and ended her political career. With endless efforts and the support of women’s activists throughout the country, Campoamor managed to include in the new constitution the article that stated that “Citizens of either sex, over 23 years of age, will have the same rights elections as determined by law.” During the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Campoamor had to leave the country and couldn’t return during the Franco regime. She settled in Switzerland and worked as a lawyer. She passed away in exile at the age of 84, never returning to her country. Another statue of Campoamor stands in San Sebastián and a bust of her stands in Madrid, Spain. Read more...