Citywide Display Honours Trailblazing Women
Lleida has unveiled a public tribute to 24 women whose contributions across generations helped shape the city and advance gender equality. A total of 200 banners are now installed along key avenues including Rambla de Aragón, Francesc Macià, and Avenida del Segre, displaying the women's photographs and professions. The initiative forms part of the lead-up to the I Congrés Dones que Mouen Ciutats (Women Who Move Cities), which will take place on 23 and 24 October at La Llotja. The congress will bring together over thirty experts, institutional representatives, and professionals to discuss feminist urban policies, economic justice, care systems, and gender-based violence prevention.
A Shared Day of Remembrance
On Sunday 4 October, families of the honoured women, members of the Municipal Women’s Council, and others connected to the individuals came together for a day of shared memory. They exchanged personal recollections and testimonies about the women’s lives and legacies. The event preceded the wider public rollout of the tribute, which includes a free educational collection of 10,000 numbered bookmarks. Each bookmark highlights one woman, arranged chronologically by birth year, forming a timeline of female achievement in Lleida. These will be distributed from Monday in libraries, schools, bookshops, and the University of Lleida, with plans for teachers to use them as classroom resources.
Feminist Leadership Speaks
"Lleida is a feminist city,"
said Mayor Fèlix Larrosa Piqué, who stressed the city’s commitment to building greater equality. He added that the upcoming congress would allow Lleida to confront current challenges alongside national and international experts. Carme Valls Llaràs, Fourth Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Good Governance and Feminist Policies, described the genealogies as a symbol of "women who have moved society forward." She noted that behind each named woman stand countless others whose efforts remain unrecorded. Verònica Martínez París, the Mayor’s Commissioner for Feminist Policies and Congress coordinator, paid special tribute to Chus Borrell Feliu, a transformative coach who passed away last year and played a key role in creating the congress.
Visible Maternal Lineages
Each woman is presented with both her maternal and paternal surnames, a deliberate choice to affirm the importance of female lineage. This practice also extends to the official programme of the congress. The tribute does not end with the 24 named figures. It also honours anonymous women who, across generations and roles, contributed to Lleida’s social, cultural, and community development.
Design and Distribution
The banner and bookmark designs were created by Iris Sarrat Mòdol and Mar Bourque Martínez from the Leandre Cristòfol Municipal School of Art. The materials aim to connect younger generations with Lleida’s collective memory through accessible, tangible formats. Residents and visitors can view the banners throughout the city until the end of October. The bookmarks will be available at public education and cultural centres across Lleida starting Monday 5 October. For more information on the I Congrés Dones que Mouen Ciutats and its full programme, visit the official page on the Ajuntament de Lleida website.
Reported by paeria.cat, Ajuntament de Lleida.
