On the 2nd December a magnificent conference was held at the Naval Military Club by our member Solange Estevens on the theme “From the schooling of girls at the instigation of Queen Maria II to the feminisation of society”, followed by tea.
“A summary of girls’ education, starting from this reign, passing through the first republic, the establishment of the New State and the 1974 revolution, which marked the great evolution of education, with free access to it, legislation making it compulsory and the creation of universities throughout the country, allowing women what is known as the feminisation of universities.
They have a greater presence in university courses, better grades, and there are fewer dropouts among female students. This goes hand in hand with a struggle that goes back to the first republic, with the struggle for literacy, the right to vote and underlying causes, as well as a continued, albeit slow, effort to enter university. The university struggles at the end of the 1960s, against cyclical causes, such as the overseas war, and the emancipation of women, with the contribution of intellectuals, writers and feminists tout court. Birth control, as women ceased to be a subsidiary of their biological condition, and the massive entry into the world of work are factors, in addition to education, that have led to the empowerment of women today.
Underlying this progress, however, is the reality of domestic violence, a reality that must be addressed not only by legislation but by a whole society committed to the dignification of women.”