Exhibition opens Thursday evening

The Museu de Manresa inaugurates a new temporary exhibition this Thursday at 18:00, titled Els primers passos cap a la democràcia (1976–1978): L’Associació de Dones del Bages, de la reivindicació a l’acció. The display forms part of the 'Memòria en Xarxa' project led by the Barcelona Provincial Council’s Network of Local Museums, which aims to preserve and promote local historical memory across Catalonia. The exhibition will be open to the public free of charge until 29 November.

Focusing on women’s rights in the Bages

The showcase centres on the founding and activism of the Associació de Dones del Bages, legally established in 1978 and a pivotal force in advancing women’s rights during the early years of democratic transition after Franco’s dictatorship. The group emerged shortly after the First Catalan Women's Days, becoming a hub for women in central Catalonia seeking legal, sexual, psychological and cultural support. Among its major achievements was the successful campaign for a public family planning centre in Manresa, which opened in 1981 as a pioneering free service offering gynaecological prevention and contraceptive information at a time when no such public provision existed. The exhibition is hosted under the thematic axis 'A Future in Feminine', one of several regional interpretations of the broader touring project that examines how democratic recovery unfolded uniquely across municipalities between 1976 and 1978.

This space celebrates the courage and organisation of women who challenged a deeply patriarchal society to claim their rights and visibility.

Commemorative roundtable in November

As a complementary event, a roundtable discussion will take place on 18 November at 18:00 within the exhibition space. Participants include Marga Martínez Figueras, a member of the original association; Montserrat Mestres Angla, from the Municipal Women's Council; and Anna Vilaseca Grané, a midwife with the Rosa Suñé Family Planning Service and the ASSIR Bages-Solsonès-Moianès i Calaf sexual and reproductive health unit. The discussion will be moderated by Gal·la Garcia Casarramona, historian and author of El moviment feminista a Manresa. Attendance is free but prior registration is recommended via the museum’s official website: museudemanresa.cat.

  • The exhibition runs from 8 October to 29 November 2026
  • Inauguration: Thursday 8 October, 18:00
  • Roundtable: Wednesday 18 November, 18:00
  • Location: Museu de Manresa
  • Admission: Free
  • Registration advised: museudemanresa.cat

Primary sources: Diputació de Barcelona. Reported by regio7.cat, museudemanresa.cat, btiquets.com, Regió 7.