LIDIA FALCÓN – THE FEMINIST REASON © Silvia Cuevas-Morales Lidia Falcón (Madrid, 1935) is the international face of Spanish feminism. Born just months before the Civil War broke out in Spain, and against all odds, she managed to obtain a degree in Law, Dramatic Arts and Journalism, as well as a Doctorate in Philosophy. She is the founder of the magazines Vindicación Feminista and Poder y Libertad, as well as founder of the first feminist publishing house in Spain: Vindicación Feminista Publicaciones and of the Spanish Feminist Party. During the Franco dictatorship she was active in the underground movement and in 1972 she was detained for her opinions and jailed for six months. In 1974 she was falsely accused of having participated in a famous bomb attack in the centre of Madrid and was sent to prison for nine months. Thanks to international support and due to the fact that she was already known abroad she was released from prison. Even though she is almost seventy five years old she is still active as lawyer and tours Spain constantly giving conferences, participating in radio and television debates and publishes regularly in all the major newspapers. Her many achievements as a writer and feminist activist have been widely acknowledged both within and beyond Spain. Throughout her life she has been invited to numerous Spanish and international Universities and her dedication has earned her many awards and homages. Amongst her recognitions are a Doctorate Honoris causa from the College of Wooster and The Order of Don Quijote, awarded by St. John’s University. She has published over thirty books, among which are: Mujer y Sociedad, Violencia contra la mujer, Los nuevos mitos del feminismo and Mujer y Poder Político. She also has an extensive list of novels and plays. The Feminist Reason is her first major work translated into English. The Feminist Reason - Summary of contents This work is an abridged version of the two volumes of the first edition of La Razón Feminista (Fontanella, Barcelona, 1981 and 1982) and comprises all the issues discussed: volume I, “Woman as a