Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

10 O viedo | C ampoamor T heatre | the age of consent, marked by discrimination and subjugation. They were stripped of fundamental rights and were unable to participate in political, cultural or economic life save for a handful of splendid exceptions. The access to education and conquest of equality that the women of the Western world — Spanish women amongst them— have achieved has to a great extent led to the above absurd, unfair situation being redressed. However, this same situation still exists, and in fact gets painfully worse, on a large part of the planet. The 20th century, which for this triumph alone deserves to go down in history as a fundamental century in the course of our civilization, has not managed to see the desire for this equality to be universal fulfilled, for total respect and dignity for women is still being violated. However, it fills us with hope to think that the Spain that moves into the 21st century will be built for the first time in our history, and forever, on the joint efforts, creativity and talents of Spanish men and women. Thank you very much. “Many sacrifices have been required, and many still need to be made to fulfil each one of our dreams, to pursue each one of our utopias.” 22 nd O ctober 1999