The Crisis of 1956: The Sección Femenina, The Falange, and the Franco Regime

The Sección Femenina (SF), the female branch of the Falange, the Spanish fascist party, served as the official women's group for over forty years during the Franco dictatorship (1939-1975). Like the regime, the female organization was not a monolithic, unchangeable institution. As Spain redefined itself after the civil war, so too did the SF. Born from the Falange and designed as an auxiliary organization for social services staffed by women, the SF considered itself a faithful follower of Spanish style fascism. As the Falange fell from grace after the defeat of fascism in the Second World War, Franco initiated changes in his government dismissing falangist politicians. A pivotal year for the regime, the Falange, and the SF was 1956. During this year the Falange experienced challenges from rival movements, such as Opus Dei, and faced student riots targeting falangist university unions. With the gradual loss of legitimacy of the Falange, the SF was faced with a choice: defend its roots or ally itself with the chameleon-like opportunist Franco. The SF struggled to maintain coherence and consensus within the organization. Under the leadership of Pilar Primo de Rivera, the SF emerged from the 1956 crisis with a new identity, one that embraced the hard line "purist" Falange while also offering cooperation to Franco and his evolving regime. This dual nature of the SF distinguished it from other organizations with fascistic roots and accounted for its durability. It remained Franco's favored women's group while the Falange continued to lose power in the regime. The SF distanced itself from the Falange while never denying its ideological ties to it. This paper will explore this women's organization during a crucial moment of the Franco dictatorship shedding light on the SF's dynamic identity and the complexity of the regime.