Benita Gil facts for kids

Benita Gil Lamiel (born January 14, 1913 – died July 26, 2015) was a Spanish teacher. She also helped organize groups for workers' rights, known as a syndicalist organizer.

In 2014, when she was 101 years old, she received a special award. It was called the Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic.

Her Life and Work

Early Life and Education

Benita Gil Lamiel grew up in a farming family. She spent her childhood in La Ginebrosa, a town in Spain. Her family was originally from Mas de las Matas, where she went to school. She studied there from age 11 to 14.

In 1928, her family moved to Zaragoza. Benita decided to become a teacher. She studied from 1928 to 1932. She was the first woman in her family to get a university degree.

Becoming a Teacher

Benita was one of many women who became teachers during the Second Spanish Republic. This was a time when Spain was a republic, not a kingdom. The government had a plan to hire more teachers.

Benita joined the teachers' association in Zaragoza. During the Spanish Civil War, she worked as a teacher. She taught in Alcañiz and later in Llançà. Teaching in Llançà helped her leave Spain later.

Life in Exile

In January 1939, Benita had to leave Spain. She went to France because of the war. This is called going into exile. In France, she married Felipe Serrano. He was also a teacher and her partner since 1938. They had two children together.

In 1950, her husband, Felipe, was asked to leave France. Many other Spaniards also had to leave. They were welcomed by Czechoslovakia. They moved to Ústí nad Labem, a city in northern Bohemia.

The next year, in December 1951, Benita and her children joined him. They traveled from Toulouse in France to Prague by train.

Working in Prague

Benita worked for eight years at a textile company. In the early 1960s, she joined the Communist Party of Spain. She then started working for the World Federation of Trade Unions. This organization helps workers around the world.

She worked there for 17 years. She was a French interpreter, which means she translated between languages. She was also a secretary for the Latin American Section.

Return to Spain and Later Life

In 1980, Benita and her husband moved back to Spain. Spain had become a democracy again. However, in 1992, they moved back to Prague. They wanted to be close to their children and grandchildren.

In 2014, Benita received a high honor. She was made a Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic. This award is given for special services to Spain. She received it in Prague. She remembered how difficult her long exile had been.

I was a teacher, and I always considered that if I stayed I would have been thrown out of teaching.

On March 27, 2014, she was also given the title of "Ambassador of Mas de las Matas." She also received the "Medal of the Faithful Villa of Mas de las Matas."

Benita Gil passed away in Prague on July 26, 2015. She was 102 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Benita Gil para niños