Untold Stories of Women in Electrochemistry: Vicenta Arnal, a Spanish Scientist in the 1930s

Abstract

This paper examines Vicenta Arnal Yarza's (1902-1960) life and scientific contributions to electrochemistry in the late 1920s and the 1930s. In Spain, this was a time of ambitious programs to modernize and internationalize scientific research, which included the training and career promotion of some women. Vicenta Arnal's pathway shifted from the early years of her international scientific education with top scientists in the field to a domestic career devoted to improving the teaching and popularizing of chemistry under the constraints of the Franco dictatorship, which brought about a dramatic regression in gender equity. ; Authors acknowledge Alejandro Santos for being able to retrieve Vicenta Arnal's scientific publications despite our limited information input, and are grateful to Josefina Perez-Arantegui (Universidad de Zaragoza) for invaluable comments and to the Alfaro-García family for the permission to publish the image in Fig. 1. MRP thanks Spain's Agencia Estatal de Investigación Severo Ochoa Program for Centers of Excellence in R&D (CEX2019–000917-S). ; With funding from the Spanish government through the 'Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence' accreditation (CEX2019-000917-S). ; Peer reviewed