Junta de Damas de Honor y Mérito facts for kids

The Junta de Damas de Honor y Mérito was a special group for women in Spain. It was like a club that helped people. King Charles III of Spain started it on August 27, 1787. It was the first group of its kind in Spain just for women that wasn't connected to the church.

This group was the women's part of a bigger, all-male club called the Real Sociedad Económica Matritense de Amigos del País. This male club was very important during a time in history called the Age of Enlightenment. In the beginning, the women of the Junta de Damas met every Friday. They talked about different projects and how they could help their country.

The Junta de Damas was created after two important women, María Isidra Quintana de Guzmán y de la Cerda and María Josefa Alfonso Pimentel y Tellez-Girón, were allowed to join the male club. After many discussions about women joining such groups, the Junta de Damas was formed. It gave women a public place to share ideas during the Enlightenment. Famous people like Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos and Josefa Amar y Borbón were part of these talks. Josefa Amar y Borbón even wrote an important essay. It was called Discurso en defensa del talento de las mujeres. This essay argued that women were smart and capable, and should be included in important discussions.

The group helped and checked on many schools and places for women and children. Their main goal was to teach women useful skills. This way, women from all parts of society could help make the country better. They also encouraged women to make things at home. This led to many programs that became a big part of their history.

The motto of the male club was Socorre enseñando, which means Help by teaching. The Junta de Damas followed this motto in all their projects. In 1920, the Junta de Damas was given its own legal status. This meant they could officially run their own projects and business.

Helping Others

The Junta de Damas did a lot of good work to help people in Spain. They focused on education and improving conditions for women and children.

Patriotic Schools

One of their first jobs was to look after the Escuelas Patrióticas, or Patriotic Schools. These schools were first started by the male club. There were four of these schools in Madrid. They mainly taught girls skills that were considered "right for their gender," like needlework.

When the Junta de Damas took over in 1787, the schools were not in good shape. But the women worked hard and made them much better. The schools focused on skills related to making textiles and other crafts. People believed these skills were important for improving Spain's economy. The Junta de Damas also ran other special training schools. These included the School of Embroidery and the School of Artificial Flowers.

To encourage students to do their best, the Junta de Damas gave out awards. These included money prizes and special certificates. These certificates were very helpful for students when they looked for jobs. This shows how much power the Junta de Damas had gained in teaching and textiles.

Women's Prisons

In June 1788, the Junta de Damas started the Pious Institute of Aid for Imprisoned Women. This group was led by the Condesa de Montijo, a member of the Junta. The institute was made up only of Junta de Damas members. They mainly focused on La Galera, a women's prison known for its bad conditions. Women often stayed there for a long time.

The institute gave female prisoners educational and moral support. They taught them skills like weaving and embroidery. Some prisoners even learned to read and write using religious books. The institute also provided better clothes, beds, and medicine for the prisoners and their children. They even helped some prisoners get out of jail. They also paid for their travel back home. King Charles III was so happy with their work that he allowed them to build a maternity ward inside the prison.

Royal Foundling Hospital of Madrid

The Real Inclusa de Madrid was a hospital that first opened in 1567 for older people. In 1572, it started taking in abandoned babies. It became a Foundling Hospital. In 1792, the Junta de Damas learned about the terrible conditions at the hospital. They asked the King if they could take charge. After much asking, the King finally gave them control in 1799.

The hospital was in very bad shape. About 90% of the babies died there. This was because there weren't enough supplies, the hygiene was poor, and the staff weren't experienced. The Junta de Damas worked to fix the Inclusa. They cleaned it very well and set up new medical services with strict hygiene rules. They also hired skilled staff to help run it. Because of these new changes, the number of babies who died dropped a lot. In the early 1800s, it went from 96% to 46%.

Who Led the Group?

First Members

There were sixteen women who started the Junta de Damas. Some important founding members were María Isidra Quintana de Guzmán y de la Cerda and María Josefa Alfonso Pimentel y Téllez-Girón. Josefa Amar y Borbón was also a key founder.

Main Roles

In the early years, the Duchess of Osuna and the Countess of Torrepalma-Trullás took turns being the president. They were chosen through elections. The Countess of Montijo was elected secretary in 1757. She held this important job for almost 18 years. Because the secretary's job was so demanding, Maria del Rosario Cepeda was elected as a second secretary in the same year. Meetings were democratic. Members made decisions by talking things over and then voting.

See also

In Spanish: Junta de Damas de Honor y Mérito para niños