In the conference, Aurora Morcillo will deal with the symbolic relationship between the state and women’s body through the images of women disseminated by the political discourse since the 40’s until the early 60’s, coinciding with the years of openness. Also, it will be dealt with the feminine link with concepts of maternity, vulnerability and fertility. The professor of Contemporary History and co-director of the ‘Aula d'Història i Memòria Democràtica’ of the Universitat de València, Marc Baldó, will present the act. 

Aurora Morcillo Gómez is an specialist in Gender History and, specifically, during the Franco’s dictatorship. She was an associated director of the Women’s Studies Center in la Florida International University (FIU) between the 2003 and 2008, and currently directs the Programme of Studies ‘España y el Mediterráneo’ which was founded in 2012 in the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs in FIU. Among her publications stand out the following works: Cultural and Social memory of the Spanish Civil War, The Seduction of Modern Spain. The Female Body and the Francoist Body Politic and True Catholic Womanhood: Gender Ideology in Franco Spain. 

With this debate will be closed the series of conferences devoted women and their work during the Francoism, organised by the ‘Aula d'Història i Memòria Democràtica’ of the Universitat de València with the collaboration of ‘Càtedra Interuniversitària de Memòria Democràtica.’

The Office of the Vice-Principal for Culture and Sport and the department of Contemporary History of the Universitat de Valencia have been in charge of creating the ‘Aula d'Història i Memòria Democràtica’, an initiative that has as a main goal to give visibility projects related to history and the democratic memory from the academic area to society.