Feliciano Lopez |
Santiago de Compostela (EFE).- “Women are not a minority, an appendix or an annex in textbooks; we are more than half of the population, we have made and are making history”, says the philosopher África López Souto in an interview with EFE on the eve of 8M in which she denounces that “the history of humanity is not taught, history is taught Men’s”.
“When you talk about the history of humanity, you talk about what the men were doing, not about the women, who were also there. And that does not appear in the textbooks, nor in the programs nor in the curricula”, assures López Souto (A Coruña, 1966).
Philosophy professor, writer and disseminator, with books on Simone de Beauvoir or Concepción Arenal in their careers, she vindicates in her conversation with EFE the role of women in all areas of life, the need to disseminate references and ” normalize” their achievements and warns of the dangers of “taking steps back”.
Bet “to join forces, voices, instruments and memories”
The arrival of the pandemic caused by the coronavirus three years ago now, in March 2020, interrupted the promotion of her latest work to date Mulleres that (us) make us think (Galaxia, 2019), in which the teacher biography of the contributions of several dozen women throughout history in different fields.
In the work he cites references and pioneers in their disciplines such as Isabel Zendal and Ángeles Alvariño, María Casares or Sofía Casanova; and also Rosalía de Castro or Emilia Pardo Bazán through other anonymous women from mostly feminized professions.
A Philosophy teacher for more than thirty years, disseminator and trainer, she declares herself part of the “many women” who are “fed up with weaving alone, of sowing alone”, for which she is committed “to uniting forces, voices, instruments and memories ”.
During this time, he has been collaborating in the training of thousands of adolescents, in whom he notes with “concern” and “fear” the data from some studies that point to the increase among young people of these ages of the “normalization” of certain attitudes, such as control of couples’ electronic devices.
Some attitudes that are observed not only in boys, but also in very young girls.
Not exempt from setbacks
Despite the progress made, mainly regulatory ones, the pandemic has shown that “steps back” can be taken and that no society, not even the most open and advanced ones, is exempt from suffering setbacks and Spain is not free of micromachismo.
“How to get over it? What does it take to live in a truly free and equal society? That is the million dollar question and there must be many answers and one must be built so that it is well done”, says López Souto, who points to two keys.
“Equality must be normalized, so that it is so integrated into society that it is truly normalized; that referent women are not an appendix, an annex in textbooks. And it needs to be a fight of women and men together, not only of women ”, she proposes.
He warns that in recent times “the hate speech of the ultra-right” has been permeating, which is not the majority, but serves as a “parapet” for young people, who are easily influenced and manipulable, to show their “biased” vision of the world without complexes.
Optimistic even if changes take time
According to López Souto, the changes in favor of equality have been very large, “a revolution during the 20th and 21st centuries”, but also “the reaction is being greater” by those who disagree and feel ” more hurt and wanting to counterattack”.
López Souto insists on his optimistic, thoughtful and far-reaching vision to emphasize that “changes take time” and exemplifies with his teaching material.
“I am a professor of Philosophy and the History of Philosophy that we give is the history of philosophers. This year, with the new law, it has been achieved for the first time that a woman is admitted; some woman from the 20th century wears… But there have been women philosophers since the Greeks! (…) Spend time on Plato and Aristotle? OK. But we must also talk about the women who lived with them and who, despite living in a very macho society, made contributions to thought. And at all times in history and that is not there, ”she laments.
And that, he adds, happens in Literature, in Science and in the rest of the disciplines. “I am totally convinced that the history of humanity is not taught, the history of men is taught; there are outstanding women in all disciplines and they should be included in all sections, not only as an annex or appendix, but as what they are, more than half of the population”, he concludes.