Women make gains in Spain

Women in every country have strived for decades to achieve some measure of equality in the corporate boardroom and in politics.  Gains have been easier to come by in some countries and more difficult in others.  Not surprisingly, progress has tended to be slower in societies that are more conservative or that have cultural tendencies toward the masculine, such as the machismo-influenced Latin world.

In recent years, however, Spain has begun to make up for lost time.  According to this Business Week article, there are more females than males enrolled in Spanish universities, and “Spain now ranks eighth in the world in number of women with political posts,” thanks in large part to efforts by the current government.

No question, the female population of Spain has had a lot of catching up to do. The four decades of authoritarian dictatorship following Spain’s civil war kept women in traditional roles far longer than other Europeans, and they trailed far behind women in the U.S. and Britain who gained substantial ground during World War II when they filled in for men away at battle. Even now, less than 3% of top management in Spain’s public companies is female.

Yet in recent years, Spanish women have made substantial progress in business, politics, and the judiciary. Now, with new laws on the way designed to increase their power in business, they may be on the verge of breaking the glass ceiling at last.

“There has been a deeply rooted traditional culture we have had to overcome, much like an obstacle course,” says Petra Mateos, president of Spanish satellite operator Hispasat. As in many countries, she says, women were expected to assume all responsibility for caring for the family and educating children. “Today’s generation has a different mentality,” Mateos says.

Ironically, one of the biggest challenges still remaining is another cultural obstacle, one that may be considerably more difficult to overcome than that of machismo.  Although it poses difficulties for men with families, as well, the tradition of the long afternoon lunch and the late dinner hour is particularly hard on many women who wish to have a career.

… many Spanish workers, not just women, continue to contend with a traditional schedule that includes a two-hour lunch break followed by office hours often stretching past 8 p.m. Young and single people can handle the classic Spanish workday, but it’s tough for women with children.

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