A woman of her times: María de la O Lejárraga de Martínez Sierra

Abstract

María Lejárraga García de Martínez Sierra was one of the most outstanding female personalities  of the Spanish  20th century.  She was able to experience  the advances  achieved by  women   during   the  first  third  of  the  century   and  envisage   a  new  society   in  which socialism and feminism would light the way towards an egalitarian and just world, Maria had the opportunity to collaborate in this effort during the IInd Republic, but in the end, the  Civil  War  thwarted  her  aspirations  and  distanced  her  from  the  country  she  had  wanted to  transform. This article focuses on the figure of Maria as  an active protagonist of the process of emancipation of the Spanish women between 1900 and 1936. Special attention is dedicated to her presence within both feminism and politics. In this context, an estimate is  put forward of the support that María received from women voting for the first time in the 1933 General Elections, when she won a seat as Member of Parliament for Granada.