2002/01/01 by Irene Flunser Pimentel · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Gender Politics and Representation #Historical Gender and Feminism Studies #Historical Education and Society #Omen #Ideology #Portuguese #Institutionalisation #Gender studies #Sociology #Political science #Criminology #Law #Ancient history #History #Archaeology #Philosophy #Politics
paper · doi:10.1353/port.2002.0014
openalex publication_date 2002/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/04/05
Women'sOrganizations andImperial Ideology under theEstadoNovo IRENE PIMENTEL One ofthemajorconcerns ofSalazar'sEstadoNovo inPortugal, after the institutionalization of theregimeby theConstitution of 1933,and the creation inthesameyearofthepolitical police(PVDE),theSecretariat for NationalPropaganda(SPN) and the first structures of the corporative system, was thedesireto organizesections ofthepopulationbyage and sex. In1936,therefore, during a periodoffascist recrudescence related tothe beginning oftheSpanishCivilWar,a paramilitary militia, theso-called Portuguese Legion (LP), and women's and youthorganizations were created:Obra das Mães pela Educação Nacional (OMEN), Mocidade Portuguesa (MP),andMocidadePortuguesa Feminina (MPF). The Obra das Mães OMEN wasestablished bytheeducation minister, Carneiro Pacheco,with theexpressintention ofbringing together Portuguese womenin orderto 'congregar as mulheres portugués [as]', to 'estimular a acção educativada família', 'assegurar a cooperaçãoentre estae a Escola', 'preparar melhor as gerações femininas paraos seusfuturos deveres maternais, domésticos e sociais',and 'contribuir de todas as formaspara a plena realizaçãoda educaçãonacionalista da juventude portuguesa'.1 Inlinewith theregime's policiesonnational regeneration, theresponsibilities ofwomen'sorganizations fellintofourmainareasofintervention: a programme of 'social action' soughtthe educationof mothersin the domestic spherein matters concerning motherhood and childrearing; a programme of 'maternalaction' was designedto promoteconception through thepropagandaof'mother's weeks'and theawardofprizesfor largefamilies, butwas equallyconcerned withthemorepractical taskof assisting in homebirths and reducing infant mortality; thepromotion of formal learning bythecreation ofincentives forschoolattendance, suchas thesetting upofschoolcanteens; andtheeducation ofyoung girls through theMocidadePortuguesa Feminina. OMEN lastedsome timebut was not veryefficient. In fact,it was characterized byindecision, mainly becauseitsfunctions wereilldefined. Some amongtheregime'ssupporters feltthatit shouldbe restricted to 1Estatutos daOMEN,Decreto-Lei no.26,893, de15deAgosto de1936. 122 IRENE PIMENTEL charity work,whiletheleadersof variouswomenorganizations never considered OMEN as a socialinstrument fornational education. The first directorate of OMEN, initially headedbyIsabel d'Albignac Bandeirade Melo (Countessof Rilvas),includedwomenfromdifferent groupsofthesmallfemale éliteoftheregime. The first groupwas formed by mothers fromthearistocracy and by upper-class women,who were activelyinvolvedin Catholicassociationsproviding charity. A second groupincluded thewivesandfemale relatives ofthemenfrom theregime, thustransforming theorganization intoa female paralleltotheregime. A third groupwas formed bygraduatewomen.Manyofthesewereyoung leadersofthewomen'sorganization AcçãoCatólica. None of theinitialaims of OMEN wereeverachieved.Most disappointing was thefailure to revive thenationthrough female re-education. Insteadoftransforming theattitudes ofwomenand their families, itwas onlyable to reachsome of themthrough a fewdomesticclasses and propaganda sessions ontheneedforlarger families andcharity events. Therewereotherfailedobjectives: co-operation in theeducationand assistanceof poor womenand theirchildren; removing workingclass womenfromthelabourmarket; contributing to themaintenance ofthe highbirth ratewithin marriage, and thereduction ofchildmortality and illegitimate births. In fact,thenetwork ofnursery schoolswas nevercreated,therewere fewcanteens andcoursesofhygiene andchildcare werereplacedbythose on moralsandreligion. Andworking-class womendidnotentirely return tothehome. By itselfthe reductionof infantmortality cannotbe relatedto the incentive provided bytheawardofa fewprizesforlargefamilies, butthe general improvement in livingconditions during the1950s.On theother hand,duringthissame perioda reductionin the birthrate was also observed,whichrevealsthe lack of successof birthrate propaganda promoted bytheObradasMães organization. However,OMEN continuedto play a politicalrole. Createdby the Ministerof Education,the organization had othergoals: to formand organize thefemale éliteoftheEstadoNovo; to benefit from theskillsof somewomen,relatives oftheregime's élite,to neutralize theactionsof otherwomen'sassociations;and partially to removewomenand youth organizations andtheeducation monopoly from thechurch, without open hostility. Likeother instruments oftheregime, OMEN hada roleinthepromotion ofnationalist ideology andChristian religion andmorality amongwomen. Beinga potential rivaloftheCatholicchurch, OMEN was nevertheless ableto maintain a friendly rivalry. Besides,theysharedsomeofthesame leaders. women's organizations and imperial ideology 123 Regardingits relationswiththe family, it aspiredto educationally interfere, ideologically penetrate and to enjoyeffective social and moral control. However,theresults ofitsactionswerenegligible. OMEN was onlyable to reacha smallnumber ofmothers, to practicean elitist and moralistic charity, and to occupysomeladiesofthearistocracy and the wivesofstateleaders. Eventually, thelackofanyeffective family assistance wasseenas reflecting theEstadoNovo's antipathy toa welfare state. In the 1950s OMEN was discontented with the modernization, industrialization and urbanization ofthecountry andturned itsattention torural areas,which wereconsidered theonlyplacesrepresenting itsmodel of society.Insteadof beingthe proclaimednationaland educational organization, itonlyoperatedin someruralareas,providing courseson familyeducationthat were not verydifferent fromthose of private charities. Evenitsleadership was changing. Fromthe 1960s,itsleaders wereexclusively professional socialandfamily educators, badlypaid and nothighly regarded insociety. Mocidade Portuguesa Feminina After thefoundation ofObra das Mães and MocidadePortuguesa (MP), Carneiro Pachecoapprovedthewritten constitution ofMocidadePortuguesa Feminina(MPF) in December1937.Initially it was subordinate to OMEN. Whilemilitary instruction was one ofthemajorconcerns ofthe Mocidade Portuguesa,the MPF were expectedto 'ter em conta as circunstâncias especiais desexo" The MPF, withitsleadership staffed bywomen,proposedto educate girlsthrough 'educação moral,cívica,físicae social'.3As theeducation minister wouldsay,'a cada um o seu lugar'.4Youthorganizations were alsosegregated...