Abstract

Sexual repression during Franco's dictatorship in Spain (1939–1975) seriously affected women of the era. The aim of this study was to explore, describe and understand women's experiences regarding sexuality during the era of Francoist repression. A qualitative study was designed based on Gadamer's hermeneutic phenomenology. Ten in-depth interviews and a focus group session with four participants were carried out. All participants were women who had been sexually active during the Franco era. An inductive strategy was used in the data analysis in search of emerging themes. The following themes emerged: 1. ‘The environment of Francoist repression: The regime permeates sexuality’. 2. ‘Repressive practices and heteronormativity: from sexual/reproductive slavery to homophobia’. 3. ‘Sex education: sociocultural consequences of Francoist repression’. Social and political repression have been a heavy burden on Spanish women for decades, imposing upon them a strict morality that profoundly affected their beliefs and dignity as well as their emotional and sexual lives. The long-lasting effects of the historical period in which they lived extend to the present. Women brought up during Francoism, who were not able to change their social attitudes, continue to show rejection of homosexuality or sexual intercourse for pleasure and also have difficulty in re-building their love lives with their partners.