Spain's unlikely feminist club: men who do the housework

A group of men, led by a former politician from Aragon, joins a "feminist club" in Zaragoza, taking on household chores and learning new skills. The consequences of this unexpected "modernization" are varied, even leading to divorce for several members.

## The club of men who scrub floors

It seems the idea of a "feminist club" has given rise to endless stories, some so far-fetched they border on invention. There has even been talk of political mafias seeking votes among the most charitable. But what does seem real is the existence of men who, for one reason or another, have decided to turn their lives around and embrace what has popularly been labeled "feminism". A striking example is that of **Evaristo Arquillué**, a former member of the **Cortes de Aragón** (the regional parliament of Aragon). After losing his seat, and sunk in a deep melancholy that contrasted with his former cheerfulness, his vvife, **Margarita**, came upon an unusual scene: Evaristo, wearing an apron, washing the kitchen floor. Her initial reaction was disbelief, thinking she was hallucinating. But reality was stubborn: her husband was taking on household chores. Faced with his vvife's surprise, Evaristo replied with disconcerting calm: "A lot, dear".

News of Evaristo's sudden "modernization" soon reached his children, both university students. Their reaction was blunt and liberating: "It's never too late to modernize". Far from being a reproach, this phrase seemed to give them the key. The family's friends, for their part, watched the situation with a mixture of amusement and compassion, especially towards Margarita. The conversion of a former male chauvinist, who once hinted that women entering the workforce was the cause of the global economic crisis, generated distrust. The residential estate where they lived was soon filled with comments and jokes. One neighbor, an insurance salesman, even asked Evaristo directly what he was up to with his new activities.

## A new domestic order at El Zorongo

Evaristo's story did not remain an isolated incident. Soon, five more neighbors from the **El Zorongo** estate joined what became known as the "feminist club". These meetings, initially held on Monday nights, ended up being set for Saturdays, perhaps as a nod to the family institution, though the final result was another. Within this club, the activities seemed varied. One of the members, for example, learned to sew and took care of the repairs needed by the rest of the group. Despite the cleanliness and order that seemed to reign in their homes, and despite seeing no drop in their sales at work, the mystery of what they really did at the club fueled rumors, including one about alleged "effeminacy".

The wives, worried about their husbands' mental health and the future of their relationships, went through uncertain times. What peine next was, to say the least, surprising. Today, all the members of this peculiar club are divorced. And the strangest part is that it was the wives who initiated the divorce proceedings. The men, for their part, seemed unsurprised, keeping a smile that suggested that perhaps this was the outcome they had been seeking from the start. The truth of their motives, however, remains an enigma.

## Independence and new opportunities

After the divorces, each has rebuilt his life independently. One of the club's members, in fact, seems about to marry again. The experience of this male "feminist club", with its lessons in cooking, sewing and an apparent reshuffling of roles, has left an indelible mark on the lives of those involved. What began as an anecdote, perhaps driven by a former politician searching for a new purpose or by a desire to challenge social conventions, ended up reconfiguring entire families. The ultimate reasons for this radical turn in their lives, and whether they were truly seeking personal transformation or something more, is something that will probably never be known for certain.