FIBGAR celebrated the presentation event of the new Women’s Network for Memory and Democracy (REDMEM)
On 26 March we held the presentation event of our new Network of Women for Memory and Democracy (REDMEM). This occasion was held in collaboration with the Asociación El Club de las 25 and the Equality Unit of the Complutense University of Madrid, in the Paraninfo of the Faculty of Philosophy of the same university.
This is a historic space, as it was home to Federico García Lorca and his group ‘La Barraca’ performing their different plays, as well as the fact that the Faculty of Philosophy itself served as a trench during the Civil War, which made the meeting even more special.
The event began with a greeting and welcome to the attendees by Isabel Tajahuerce, Rector’s Delegate for Equality, and María Garzón, President of FIBGAR. This was followed by two panels featuring prestigious women from the field of memory, feminism and democracy.
The first panel, ‘Feminist movement and democratic memory: Justice, truth and reparation’, was moderated by Nadia Gayoso, head of democratic memory and transitional justice at FIBGAR. In it, Blanca Calvo Alonso, Amalia Rosado Orquín, Lourdes Pastor Martínez and Rosana Sáez Muñoyerro explained to the audience how they work to preserve the work and history of women, as well as discussing the challenges they face every day in their activities to preserve and disseminate the memory of women.
On the other hand, the second panel, ‘Democracy and the role of women: Challenges and advances in gender equality’ talked about how women have contributed to the struggle for democracy, especially since Franco’s regime and the democratic transition, and about the state of democratic memory and women’s rights today. This panel, moderated by María Garzón, was made up of Cristina Almeida Castro, Paca Sauquillo Pérez del Arco, Emilia Graña Ramos-Sabugo, Natalia Junquera Añón, Núria González López, and Carmina Gustrán Loscos.
After the panels, Lourdes Pastor and the guitarist Ángel Dobao Corpas provided the audience with a musical performance in which they interpreted ‘Las 13 Rosas’, ‘Palabras para Julia’ and ‘Andaluzas de Jaén’, versions of poems by Juan Goytisolo and Miguel Hernández.
Finally, the day closed with an aperitif while attendees and panellists debated the issues that the network should address, how it can be organised and provided ideas about its purpose and objectives.
Thus, the Network for Memory and Democracy (REDMEM) was launched. If you want to know more about this initiative, you can visit the website by clicking here. This website will be updated periodically.
27 March 2025.
