From the mid-20th century onwards, numerous women’s associations emerged across Spain, organised and united by shared interests. They were known as “Housewives’ Associations” and were created under the influence and ideology of the Women’s Section of the Falange, which promoted training in domestic skills and the promotion of values traditionally assigned to women. These organisations functioned as meeting points where women shared knowledge, skills and creativity, participated in public life and collaborated within their communities.
Around 1998, as happened in many other towns, the first “Housewives’ Association of Viver” was created, with Dorita Carbó serving as its first president. This initial group encouraged women to meet outside the home, fostering their presence and participation in public spaces. Various events were organised that actively contributed to the social and community life of the town. These included gatherings such as the San José buñuelos afternoon, the first celebrations of International Women’s Day, craft activities, and lace-making sessions with Trini Tarzona, which later inspired the creation of the Lace Makers’ Association.
In 2004, the organisation adopted the name “Housewives and Consumers Association of Viver”. After changes in the composition of the board, Isabel Morro served as president in the first period, followed by Elena Juan in 2008. During these years, the association made a declaration reaffirming that it was independent of any political or religious ideology. Together with the Association of Retirees and Pensioners, they organised a wide range of activities that encouraged participation and strengthened community life in the town: Valentine’s Day dinners and events marking International Women’s Day; the management of the Cultural Week; film screenings and health talks; San Juan afternoon gatherings; ceramics and painting courses; participation in the Olive Oil Fair; playbacks and patron saint festivities; the Three Kings parade and the Nativity scene display; photography exhibitions; and the pilgrimage to Cueva Santa.
From 2013 until 2024, a new board was formed with Amelia Noguera as president, alongside her colleagues Amparo Povo and Marie-anne Bechet. The association took on new challenges while continuing the many important activities developed in previous years. They introduced the organisation of trips, excursions, visits to museums and theatre outings. However, due to bureaucratic obstacles, the name of the association was not changed at that time.
It was in February 2024, following a generational renewal with the arrival of a new board made up of 16 women, that the institutional process to change the association’s name began. The “Housewives and Consumers Association of Viver” became the “Women’s Association of Viver”. The new board has encouraged the participation of new members and helped create a rich intergenerational network in which women of different ages and backgrounds can collaborate together, strengthening the continuity and evolution of the association.
Today the association has 170 members, of whom 167 are women and 3 are men (a change included in the statutes). In recent years, long-standing activities such as the San Juan afternoon gathering and the traditional Women’s Day meal on 8 March have continued. At the same time, new dynamics and programmes of sociocultural, recreational and educational activities have been introduced throughout the year, with particular intensity during Women’s Week.
One of the main aims of the new board has been to involve different generations in these activities, while also highlighting the women of Viver through workshops led by them, talks and discussions that showcase the strength, resilience and creativity of the town’s women. Through this collective effort, the association seeks to encourage encounters between women through open, inclusive and collaborative participation. Their goal is to challenge traditional boundaries, create spaces to defend real equality, and build support networks that allow women to strengthen their presence and voice in today’s society.
(Information based on the article by Isabel Ibáñez on women’s associations in Viver. 1st Congress of the History of Viver and ICAP Journal, 2025.)
