Spain will pardon more than 50 women who were imprisoned during the Franco regime by the wife, who was the dictator’s wife.

MORE than 50 women locked away for being ‘rebellious’ or spending too much time outside by Francisco Franco’s wife are set to receive an official pardon from the Spanish government.

The women will be recognized at a Madrid ceremony on 20 March, where they will receive official documents from Ministry of Democratic Memory recognizing them as victims of Francoist Repression.

The Board for the Protection of Women was a network of reform centre largely controlled by Catholic religious orders.

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The system was overseen by Carmen Polo, the wife of dictator Francisco Franco, and targeted girls considered ‘fallen’ or ‘in danger of falling’.

Many were detained for reasons as minor as being ‘too fond of the street’, spending time away from home, or discussing sexuality.

Originally created in 1902, the board’s powers expanded significantly after the Spanish Civil War in 1939.

By 1941, institutions were being widely used to enforce moral standards imposed both by the Franco regime as well as the Catholic Church.

Authorities could detain teenage girls and young woman for years if they believed their behavior was not up to the standard of a “proper female”.

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The system was in operation until 1985, which is a decade following Franco’s death.

The government has now declared that any administrative or legal penalties imposed against the 53 women have been nullified.

Officials claim that the punishments were the result political, ideological, and gender-based repression.

The department of government investigating the system has received over 1,600 testimonies already from women who went through the institution.

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Some survivors claim that the pardon only acknowledges the women’s status as victims. They call for more truth, justice, and reparations to the thousands of people affected.

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