“En euskera y en cristiano”. Gender, religion and nation in the Basque Country during Francoism

Abstract

Since its inception, Basque nationalism has been closely linked with Catholicism. This paper aims to explore this connection from a gender perspective during Franco’s dictatorship by analysing the oral testimonies of four Catholic women who were born and/or were living in the Basque Country during the period 1940-70. It will also consider the differences in discourse in urban and rural environments by examining journals and newsletters published by distinct Catholic movements. Two hypotheses will be argued: first, that the changes experienced by Catholicism from the mid-1950s were decisive in the transformation of the religious and gender identity of these women; and second, that changes to the hegemonic femininity model generated tension in Basque nationalist discourse.