The admission of women to the teaching field was conditioned by many different circumstances that varied depending on time and place. This article will examine the evolution of this process in Spain in an attempt to identify some of the contributing factors: a patriarchal mentality which held that women had a special aptitude for teaching; a segregationist and sexist conception of education; the intention of some of the reformist sectors to broaden work opportunities for women; and the struggle of women themselves to enter the workforce, owing to the lack of opportunities for study and work offered to them. I will also examine some of the resistance they had to overcome to gain access to this profession.