The women who opened the spaces of experimental sciences for women, in the Spain of the fi rst third of the 20th century

Abstract

Along the first third of the 20th century, Spanish women conquered the scientific spaces: universities, scientific societies and the existent laboratories. Chemistry and Pharmacy were their favourite careers. They enjoyed fellowships given by the Board for Advanced Studies and Scientific Research (JAE), and also from the solidarity of international university organizations of American women. They began being very few, but in the 30’s, at the National Institute for Physics and Chemistry, built by the Rockefeller Foundation, women became the 22% of scientific personnel. This positive trend was cut short by the outbreak of the war that destroyed what had been achieved and it led many into exile.