Women's Participation in Sport in Portugal during the New State Regime

Abstract

The period of Portuguese history known as the New State (1930–1974) was marked by a strong ideology that had a great impact upon gender relations and on women's status and their participation in sport. During this period a variety of arguments grounded in aesthetics, morals, health and women's biology were put forward not only to encourage women's involvement in sport but also to control the kinds of sports in which women could be involved, as well as the intensity of sports practice. In spite of the state's attempt to control women's involvement in sport, there were women who resisted this control by pursuing sport, thus showing the existence of spaces within the sports figuration that were used to express ideas different from those disseminated by the regime. In this context the campaign for women's sport, which developed in the 1930s, was important. This paper seeks to examine women's participation in sport and in particular in all-female sports clubs and the controversies that surrounded the campaign for women's sport and the creation of such clubs.

La participation sportive des femmes au Portugal pendant l'Estado Novo (l'« Etat Nouveau »)

La période de l'histoire du Portugal connue sous le nom d'« Estado Novo » (« Etat Nouveau ») a été marquée par une forte idéologie qui a eu un large impact sur les relations genrées, sur le statut des femmes et leur participation sportive. Pendant cette période, toute une série d'arguments fondés sur l'esthétique, la moralité, la santé et la constitution biologique des femmes a été avancée non seulement pour encourager l'engagement sportif des femmes, mais aussi pour contrôler les sports dans lesquels elles s'inscrivaient et l'intensité de leur pratique. Malgré les tentatives de l'Etat pour contrôler l'engagement sportif des femmes, certaines d'entre elles ont résistéà ce contrôle, montrant l'existence d'espaces dans lesquels les pratiques sportives étaient utilisées afin de diffuser des idées différentes de celles répandues par le régime. Dans ce contexte, la campagne pour la promotion du sport féminin, qui s'est développée dans les années 30, a été importante. Cet article cherche à examiner la participation sportive des femmes, en particulier dans tous les clubs sportifs féminins ainsi que l'ensemble des controverses qui ont accompagné cette campagne et la création de ces clubs.

La participación de las mujeres en el deporte en Portugal durante el régimen del Nuevo Estado

El período de la historia de Portugal conocido como el Nuevo Estado (1930–1974) estuvo marcado por una ideología fuerte que tuvo un gran impacto en las relaciones hombre-mujer y en el estatus de las mujeres y su participación en el deporte. Durante este periodo circularon una variedad de argumentos basados en criterios estéticos, morales, de salud y de biología femenina, destinados no solo a promover la participación de las mujeres en el deporte sino también a controlar el tipo de deportes en que las mujeres podían participar, así como la intensidad de esta participación. A pesar de la voluntad del estado de controlar la participación femenina en el deporte hubo mujeres que se resistieron a este control y practicaron deporte, mostrando de esta manera la existencia de espacios en el universo del deporte que se utilizaban para expresar ideas diferentes a las que difundía el régimen. En este contexto, es particularmente relevante la campaña en favor del deporte femenino que se desarrolló en los años 30. Este artículo pretende examinar la participación de las mujeres en el deporte y en particular en los clubes deportivos femeninos, así como las controversias que rodearon a la campaña en pro del deporte femenino y de la creación de dichos clubes.

Die Teilnahme von Frauen am Sport in Portugal während des Neuen Staat Regimes

Der Zeitabschnitt der portugiesischen Geschichte, der als der Neue Staat (1930–1974) bekannt ist, war von einer dominierenden Ideologie geprägt, die großen Einfluss auf die Beziehungen beider Geschlechter und den Status der Frauen sowie deren Teilnahme am Sport. Zu dieser Zeit wurde eine Vielzahl von Argumenten vorgebracht, die auf Ästhetik, Moralvorstellungen, Gesundheit und der weiblichen Biologie gründeten, nicht nur um die Teilnahme von Frauen am Sport zu unterstützen, sondern auch, um die Arten des Sports zu kontrollieren, an denen Frauen teilnehmen konnten, ebenso wie die Intensität der sportlichen Betätigung. Trotz des staatlichen Versuches, die Beteiligung der Frauen am Sport zu kontrollieren, gab es Frauen, die dieser Kontrolle Widerstand leisteten, indem sie Sportarten nachgingen und damit bewiesen, dass es Freiraum innerhalb der Gestaltung des Sports gab, die dazu benutzt wurden, um Ideen auszudrücken, die sich von denen unterschieden, die das Regime verbreitete. In diesem Kontext war die Kampagne für den Frauensport, die sich in den 1930er Jahren entwickelte, von Bedeutung. Dieser Beitrag ist um eine Untersuchung der Frauenbeteiligung am Sport und speziell an Sportklubs für Frauen und all den Debatten, die die Kampagne für Frauensport und die Gründung solcher Klubs umgab, bemüht.

Notes

[1] Solsten, Portugal – A Country Study: The First Republic.

[2] Lains, ‘Growth in a Protected Environment’.

[3] Of the Portuguese population, 66.2% lived in the countryside, 55.7% of the active population worked in agriculture and 21% in the industrial sector. See Telo, ‘A Busca Frustrada do Desenvolvimento’.

[4] Telo, ‘A Busca Frustrada do Desenvolvimento’; Lains, ‘Growth in a Protected Environment’.

[5] Lains, ‘Growth in a Protected Environment’.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Alão, ‘Os Direitos do Amor e o Recuo do Puritanismo’; Barreira, História das Nossa avós.

[8] Solsten, Portugal – A Country Study: Military Dictatorship.

[9] Pinto, ‘Chaos and Order’, 206.

[10] Ibid., p. 206.

[11] Cruz, As Origens da Democracia Cristã e o Salazarismo.

[12] Georgel, O Salazarismo, 196.

[13] Durão, cited in Pimentel, História das Organizaç[otilde]es Femininas no Estado Novo, 206.

[14] Pimentel, História das Organizaç[otilde]es Femininas no Estado Novo.

[15] Pimentel, ‘O Estado Novo e o Desporto’, 2.

[16] Rodrigues, ‘Continuidade e Mudança nos Papéis das Mulheres Portuguesas Urbanas’.

[17] Mocidade Portuguesa Feminina, 25 anos de Actividade, 40.

[18] Pimentel, História das Organizaç[otilde]es Femininas no Estado Novo, 25.

[19] Mónica, Educação e Sociedade no Portugal de Salazar, 274.

[20] Rodrigues, ‘Continuidade e Mudança nos Papéis das Mulheres Portuguesas Urbanas’.

[21] Gonçalves, O Problema da Educação nas suas Relaç[otilde]es com a Família, o Estado e a Igreja, 24–42.

[22] Rodrigues, ‘Continuidade e Mudança nos Papéis da Mulheres Portuguesas Urbanas’.

[23] Brasão, Dons e Disciplinas do Corpo Feminino, 43.

[24] de S. Costa, A Mulher Educadora.

[25] Salazar, cited in Georgel, O Salazarismo, 75.

[26] Gonçalves, O Problema da Educação nas suas Relaç[otilde]es com a Família, o Estado e a Igreja, 24–42; Mónica, Educação e Sociedade no Portugal de Salazar.

[27]Italy during the rule of Mussolini also had the same concern in relation to women's involvement in any professional occupation outside the house. See Gori, ‘Physical Education and Sporting Activity for Women during the Fascist Era’; Salazar, cited in Pimentel, História das Organizaç[otilde]es Femininas no Estado Novo; Belo, Alão, and Cabral, ‘O Estado Novo e as Mulheres’.

[28] Pimentel, História das Organizaç[otilde]es Femininas no Estado Novo, 40.

[29] Pimentel notes that according to a survey carried out in 1955 amongst nurses, this prohibition was not respected. See Pimentel, História das Organizaç[otilde]es Femininas no Estado Novo.

[30] Pimentel, História das Organizaç[otilde]es Femininas no Estado Novo; Ferrão, ‘A Demografia Portuguesa’, 6.

[31] Viegas and Faria, As Mulheres na Política.

[32] Costa, ‘Do Desporto em Geral’; Costa, ‘Cultura Física’.

[33] Coelho, ‘A educação Fisica e o Desporto na Mocidade Portuguesa Feminina’.

[34] MP was established in 1936 and besides contributing to the moral and civic education of youth, it was also concerned with the physical and military training of young boys. It was organized and controlled by the state. MPF was established in 1937 and it was also organized and controlled by the state. Through its centres and the activities it provided, it tried to endow girls with the basic qualities for their future roles as mothers and housewives (Mocidade Portuguesa Feminina, Organização e Actividades). According to the regulations of both national organizations, all youngsters, boys and girls, whether they were students or not, between 7 and 14 years of age, as well as those who attended the first cycle of secondary education, were compulsory members of these organizations. Those youngsters who desired to remain members of these organizations after the age of 14 were able to do so. Male students could remain members of MP until the end of their degree but not beyond 26 years of age. Female students could remain members of MPF until the conclusion of their degree but not beyond 25 years of age. As part of the regime's effort to control all aspects of social life and to cover all sectors of the population, the regime decided to establish FNAT. This state organization had as its main purpose to occupy workers' free time and contribute to their moral, physical and intellectual development as defined by the state.

[35] Campos, ‘Praticar Desporto Para Quê?’.

[36] Ferrari, Porro, and Russo, ‘Sport and the Welfare Policy in Italy’, 268.

[37] The newspaper República with time came to be recognized as a symbol of opposition. This newspaper tried frequently to evade censorship through the publication of articles concerning issues that were apparently non-political. República used certain strategies to show how strong censorship was and that certain issues had been submitted to strong censorship. For example, the director of República used to sign his articles with a circle. When this circle was bigger than usual it meant that the article had been highly censored and, as such, this provided an indication to readers that the article focused on something that did not please the regime.

[38]Stadium, 23 June 1937.

[39]República, 13 June 1937.

[40] Aires, cited in República, 16 June 1937.

[41] Carmo, ‘A Mulher e o Desporto’, República, 24 July 1937.

[42] Aires, ‘A Mulher e o Desporto’, República, 22 June 1937.

[43] Maggioly, ‘Uma Ideia em Marcha. O Ginásio Feminino Será Uma Bela Realidade – Comentários à Grande Reunião de Ontem’, República, 16 Aug. 1937.

[44] Carmo, ‘A Mulher e o Desporto’.

[45] Gil Moreira, cited in República, 12 Aug. 1937.

[46] Talaia, cited in República, 13 Oct. 1937.

[47] Trsitão, cited in República, 17 Nov. 1937.

[48] Pimentel, ‘O Estado Novo e o Desporto’.

[49] Moura, cited in República, 22 Sept. 1937.

[50] Maggioly, cited in República, 21 July 1937.

[51] Vaz, cited in República, 28 July 1937.

[52] Herédia, cited in República, 14 July 1937; Patrício, cited in República, 10 Nov. 1937; Leite, ‘A Mulher e o Desporto’, República, 29 Aug. 1937.

[53] Margarida Carvalho Araújo was an advocate of women's sport and supported the creation of GFP in Lisbon.

[54] Pimentel, ‘O Estado Novo e o Desporto’, 34.

[55] Ibid.

[56] Ibid., p. 36.

[57] Ibid., p. 34.

[58] Gamboa, ‘Desportismo e Feminismo – Exibiç[otilde]es Moralmente Inconvenientes e Biologicamente Destruidoras’, Novidades, 20 Oct. 1937.

[59]Novidades, 21 Oct. 1937, cited in Pimentel, ‘O Estado Novo e o Desporto’, 25.

[60] ASPLP, cited in República, 11 Nov. 1937.

[61]A Voz, 13 Nov. 1937.

[62]Novidades, 13 Nov. 1937.

[63] Ibid.

[64] Pimentel, ‘O Estado Novo e o Desporto’.

[65]República, 22 Sept. 1937.

[66] Aires, cited in A. N., ‘Gimnásio Feminino de Portugal’, Os Sports, 13 Dec. 1939.

[67] Afonso, ‘Clubes Femininos Atenção’, O Norte Desportivo, 25 Nov. 1937.

[68] Hargreaves, Sporting Females, 111.