The young feminist activism in Madrid post-15M

Abstract

This paper discuss new dynamics in Spanish politics from two perspectives: the growing activism of young feminists in the city of Madrid and the relationship between those activists and the new political forces and parties that articulate electoral political dynamics in Spain. The paper is divided into two sections: the first offers a brief introduction to the methodology and empirical apparatus used. The second analyses the interviews, focusing on four major themes: the trajectories of these activists, the new forms for political action inaugurated by the 15M demonstrations, the intergenerational question, and the place of feminisms within the new political parties. The study found that the 15M demonstrations increased feminist awareness and stimulated a kind of pedagogy or citizen’s education. It is also possible to affirm that a generational change is expressed in a greater density and diversity in the fabric of Madrilenian feminism, with a change in its elites, in both social movements and political parties. However, as new political parties have been created, hierarchical attitudes towards the feminist agenda have reemerged as visibly as in traditional political parties.