Women's Land

Feminism and the Forgotten Spain: A First-Person Essay on the Reality of Women in the Countryside and Rural World

Daughter and granddaughter of veterinarians, the last in several generations tied to the land and animals, María Sánchez (Córdoba, 1989) is the first woman in her family to pursue a profession traditionally dominated by men. Her daily life as a field veterinarian involves traveling across Spain in a van and dodging stares in a predominantly male environment like the rural world. In this deeply personal essay, the author aims to be a voice for all the silenced women in the Spanish fields, for those who had to give up education and independence to work the land with their hands and care for their families.

Through family stories, reflections on science and literature drawn from her readings, and some of the conflicts plaguing rural areas in Spain (such as depopulation, the abandonment of villages, the exploitation of natural resources, the neglect of environmental policies, or labor conditions in agriculture), Tierra de mujeres fills a gap in the debate on feminism and rural literature. It seeks to offer a realistic view of life in the countryside, far from the idyllic postcards presented by big cities, and highlights the danger of losing forever a knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation.