Julia Sevilla is an honorary professor of the Department of Constitutional Law, Political Science and Administration of the University and a member of her University Institute of Women’s Studies. She has received the Medal of the University in an academic ceremony held at the Paranimf of the historical building of La Nau.

The ceremony has counted with numerous academic authorities (Board of Directors, Board of Trustees and Deans); the president of the Valencian Parliament, Enric Morera; the delegate of the Government in the Valencian Community, Juan Carlos Fulgencio; the counsellor of Justice, Public Administration, Democratic Reforms and Public Liberties, Gabriela Bravo; the counsellor of Health, Ana Barceló; the ex-president of the Valencian Government, Joan Lerma; as well a lot of representation of the Valencian educative, cultural, political and corporate society.

 “I have always felt like we were educated to break barriers based on sexist stereotypes”. In an emotional speech in which she has defended the importance of educating in equality, Julia Sevilla has claimed the visibility of feminism because “it is still being looked down on, at least in Law, both as theory and analytical method”.

“Taking a chance on women does not go against anyone because it is about defending the rights of 50% of the population”, has outlined Professor Sevilla. She has reminded the attendants of the first demonstrations of the 8th March and 25th November, where “the participation was increasingly numerous and ended up being massive, all because the awareness of the aggressions towards women is growing”.

Julia Sevilla has recalled her experience in the numerous public institutions and she outlined that “being in academics was a great opportunity to know reality beyond theory, to participate in the gestation of laws, their evolution, seeing how the number of women in politics and other institutions increased, following the State development up close, the approval of equality laws...”

Professor Julia Sevilla’s full acceptance speech is available in this link.

Rector Mª Vicenta Mestre has defined Julia Sevilla as “a pioneering, fighting and dedicated woman” and has reminded other significant women fighting for gender equality in her speech. Some of these are Amelia Valcárcel, Olimpia Arozena, Olga Quiñones and Carmen Alborch. Thus, she has encouraged other women “to follow Julia Sevilla’s example in her commitment to make the world better and break glass ceilings”. Mestre has also reminded those generations, as professor Sevilla’s one, that fought for democracy.

 “Apart from a significant professor and researcher, professor Julia Sevilla is a great professional on Law that has contributed to develop Valencian rights in terms of legislation and preservation at the Valencian Parliament” the Rector has stated. Thus, she has taken the opportunity to remind the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution and the 35th of the first elections in the autonomous regions in Spain.

 Rector Mª Vicenta Mestre’s whole speech is available in this link.

Spanish vice-president Carmen Calvo has pointed out that “we must be grateful for some contributions such as professor Sevilla’s one. It is necessary to do it now that we have celebrated 40 years of our Constitution, now that we enjoy a stable and consolidated democracy. Through education and activism, Julia has known how to include equality in the Constitution as a value, right and principle, which are gathered in the Magna Carta.”   

In her speech, Calvo has affirmed that professor Sevilla’s work “has opened the way to understand gender equality from a legal perspective in both education and, more important, society.”

Julia Sevilla

Graduate and Doctorate in Law by the Universitat de València, she started working as a trainee lecturer in the Faculty of Law. In December 1979, she became pre-tenured professor of State Theory in the former Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences of the Universitat de València. In 1983, she was appointed lawyer in the Valencian Parliament and she started working less as professor so as to compensate her responsibilities within the Valencian Parliament.

Professor Sevilla has been a woman dedicated to Valencian society and a fighter for effective equality between men and women. In this sense, she funded the Valencian Federation of Progressive Women and presided it. She also funded the Feminist Network of Constitutional Law with other people. She is currently a member of the Spanish Federation of the European Women’s Lobby (CELEM).