Women Caregivers Under the Spanish Autonomy and Dependence System: A New Social Underclass?

Abstract

Long-term care in Spain has traditionally been provided by women as consequence of a family welfare system based historically on familism and sexual division of labour. The Autonomy and Dependence Law, passed in 2006, involved the regulation by the State of informal care. However, the economic crisis is maintaining and stressing gender differences in relation to care since a new profile of women is being built: poor caregivers, as a specific group responsible for the provision of care, becoming an ‘internal market’ linked to the application of the so called Dependence Law. This study presents an analysis of key secondary sources from the System of Autonomy and Attention to Dependency, the Unemployment System and the most relevant indicators of poverty and social exclusion. In addition, an ad hoc survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted. 55.2% of caregivers are poor women, inactive or unemployed and use the cash-for-care as basic income.