Carmen Posadas says that sexism remains difficult to eradicate, even as some of its most openly accepted expressions fade. In an interview, the writer also discussed the pressures women face, the way social class shapes attitudes toward migrants and the decline of public debate.
Posadas described herself as “post-feminist”: she believes women still have battles to win, but cautioned against adopting a victimhood mentality. She said the idea that women should be attractive rather than intelligent is less common than it once was, though a residual form of machismo persists. She also expressed concern about online incel culture and men who, in her view, want submissive partners and dismiss feminists.
Looking back to her arrival in Spain’s literary scene in the 1980s, Posadas said she did not fit the expected image of a woman writer and was not taken seriously. After she married Mariano Rubio, then governor of the Bank of Spain, she said attention shifted away from her writing and toward her social life, despite her work having already been translated into four languages. She said she tried to turn such prejudice into motivation rather than allow it to define her career.
Posadas argued that prejudice against immigrants is often rooted in economic status and class. She contrasted reactions to a daughter marrying a wealthy public figure with attitudes toward a migrant arriving by boat, saying that social acceptance can depend more on money than on race.
She also criticised the influence of social media on public discussion, saying that online platforms give a platform to opinions that are not all equally well-founded. In her view, influencers can attract more attention than Nobel laureates, while intellectuals have become less visible as public figures.
On political debate in Spain, Posadas said insults and the exchange of accusations are exhausting for the public. She described being called a fascist as an absurd charge that has lost meaning through overuse, and argued that politics should focus on policy proposals rather than labels.
Sources: El País Cultura.