Concepcion Arenal



This is me next to the statue of Concepcion Arenal. She was the first woman to graduate from law school in Spain. You might notice her more masculine clothing and this is because in order to graduate and even go to school in the first place, she had to dress in men’s clothing. This was only one of the obstacles that she had to face. She also had to be in a partitioned room all “for the sake of the men ''. But she made it through despite those obstacles and went on to make a difference. She became an inspector of prisons, she wrote articles and literature about needed reforms, and was especially concerned with how women were treated in prisons. To me I see her as a very impressive and inspiring woman.

I feel that her contribution is important because she was able to advocate for people who couldn’t advocate for themselves, mostly those in prison. One prison even kicked her out because they didn’t like her suggestions. But she continued to write about these pressing problems. She also didn’t believe the current idea that criminality was something in your bloodline, she believed that there could be hope of reform for them. I love that she gave people a voice and also used her own. She wrote multiple books about women and the future of women and how they should have rights. She continued to dress as a man on occasion so that people would take her seriously, she was also a wife, a mother, a pacifist, and an environmentalist. She was ahead of her time which I love.

I think that she had been commemorated well by this statue, however at the same time, Doctor Hegstrom did mention how it is a little out of the way. It is not a monument you would easily stumble upon so I believe it could be in a more public place. Luckily, Conception does have a commemorative plaque above an important building on the campus of Complutense University, where she went to school. This is better in my opinion because it is connected to something she was clearly passionate about: learning. Her books also commemorate her as they are still out there in the world. In all, I really liked learning about her and I wish I had known about her more before.

 

Comments

  1. Sienna PuckrinMay 19, 2024 at 11:25 PM

    Learning about Conceptión has helped me understand Madrid as a cultural capital. It shows the country’s history of oppression towards women, but now also its progression. Much to the work of women like herself. We learn that education is a huge part of this city and time allows for constant change and evolution. A cultural capital evolves with new ideas. A concept that Conceptión was very familiar with.

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  2. Hannah BryanJune 9, 2024 at 10:59 PM

    Hi! You are great and you wrote another great blog post. I will disregard this to write a kind of "eh" comment. Concepcion Arenal faced several significant challenges in her legal studies and work as as a prison warden. She was made to attend college dressed as a man, and was separated into a different room from the main instruction room. She wasn't allowed to enter and survey certain prisons because of her reputation as a prison reform advocate. I love how your post focuses on the various different roles that Arenal took on and her dedication to her work!

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