Woman's Day?

Since the law was laid down in the regime of Queen Juana the Crazy* back in 1505, Spanish women have made few advances in their rights and privileges. Only married or widowed Spanish women may vote. Without her husband's written consent, a senora may not inherit property, may not manage money or businesses, may not witness a will, or may not take a job. She may get a legal separation from her husband only if she leaves her home (it belongs to the man, even if purchased with the wife's-dowry), and surrenders all children older than three.

Last week Madrid's large Monarchist daily A.B.C. was astir with feminine indignation over Spain's archaic laws on women. The indignation was set off by the account of a Madrid housewife who for years worked hard to support a drunkard husband and, though abused by him, could not leave him, having no money, no relatives, no place to go. In the end, the husband stabbed her to death. "This poor creature," cried an impassioned columnist in A.B.C., "paid with her life for the injustices of law made by man for men . . . Let her sacrifices bear the fruits of much-needed revision of our entire legal system giving women the rights they are entitled to in modern society." The column was written by Senora Mercedes Formica, beautiful and intelligent daughter of a prominent Andalusian family, and one of the few Spanish women who have climbed past restrictions and triumphed over taboos to achieve a career (a successful law practice). From all over Spain hundreds of letters poured into A.B.C., most of them agreeing with Senora Formica.

"The law is inhuman," wrote one.

"Harems went ages ago, but the harem mentality lives on," complained another. The former dean of Madrid University's Law School even gave ground. "I see no serious objection to granting women the right to be witnesses to a will," said Don Eloy Montero, "even if they have a reputation of being somewhat talkative . . ." Warned a Catholic priest: "Beware of the many ways of heresy . . . Woman must be, in the words of the Apostles, 'subject to her husband.' " But all in all, Senora Formica felt encouraged.

"Ever since Eve offered Adam the apple," said she, "men have been unable to forgive us for being the first to discover the delights brought by the knowledge of good and evil. Women's rights is an unpopular theme, especially among mediocre men . . . When we ask for freedom, they call us unfeminine. My God, no. We are so feminine that we are fighting for the survival of our own sex." Seora Formica, elegantly gowned and coiffured, flashed a warm smile. "If we were still in the harems, I'd be the first to enjoy a life of leisure midst the flowers and birds. In fact, I'd make all efforts to be the favorite."

Things change slowly in Spain, if at all.

But there was distress in the coffee houses. "I think we're in for trouble," snapped one Madrileno as he folded his morning paper. "Thank God my wife never reads the papers."

* Juana, the third of five children born to Ferdinand and Isabella, became heir to the throne after her only brother died and her older sister married the King of Portugal. Another sister was Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife (it was to divorce her and to marry Anne Boleyn that Henry defied the Church of Rome). Isabella married off Juana to Philip the Handsome of Austria, when she was 17. After the birth of a son, Juana's mind began to go. and the philan-derings of Philip are said to have aggravated her illness. Isabella specified in her will that Ferdinand, her husband (who was not in the blood line of succession), should rule as regent of Castile if Juana was incapable of ruling. When Isabella died in 1504, Juana got the crown, but Ferdinand--and for a brief time Philip--got the power. Driven deeper into insanity by the death of her husband, Queen Juana la Loca died in 1555 without ever having really ruled.

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