Multidisciplinary Journal of Gender Studies

The Domestic Work Sector in the European Union: Quantification, Evolution and Policies to Combat Precariousness

2023-11-21T11:07:30+01:00

This article analyzes the domestic work and paid care sector in the countries of the European Union (EU), which includes jobs mostly carried out by women, generally with a serious lack of job protection, low wages, degraded working conditions, informality, precariousness and “invisibility” of tasks, etc. However, these jobs represent essential services for society, since in addition to caring for family members and dependents, personal and domestic care needs must be covered. From an operational perspective, the very characteristics of domestic work do not facilitate the collection of specific statistics necessary for the study of working conditions. This problem of statistical invisibility further slows down progress in establishing measures to improve the quality of employment for these workers. Therefore, it is necessary to address the discussion on the conceptual delimitation of domestic work and the measurement criteria adopted internationally, with special emphasis on those observed in the EU. Finally, the most advanced national regulations that try to reconcile the improvement of the working conditions of women employed in domestic work with the fact of promoting these services to cover the assistance needs of many households with economic difficulties are analyzed.

Prison and Stigma. A Study from a Socio-Educational and Gender Perspective

2023-11-10T10:36:32+01:00

The aim of this study is to analyze different dimensions of social stigma in women inmates in the process of semi-release, based on different variables related to pre-prison and current trajectories, perceptions and realities of stigma, and evaluations of the consequences in life. The research was carried out using quantitative methods in a sample of 310 women prisoners and 66 prison professionals in 31 Spanish prisons by means of a mixed questionnaire. The results show an initial socially favorable self-perception with respect to their reintegration, which contrasts with the opinion of the professionals in the setting, who relate social stigma with the difficulties of reintegration, with women with mental health problems being the worst self-perceived and those of gypsy ethnicity the best self-perceived. The data present the stigma related to the condition of imprisonment and its effects on reintegration, which increases the processes of discrimination, stigmatization, marginalization and exclusion. However, the assumption of the crime committed in those who have carried out programs is encouraging, which shows the importance and need for a socio-educational intervention in the prison context and in the accompaniment that favors social reintegration.

Gender Violence in Older Women. A Vision from the Information Centers for Women

2024-02-06T13:16:48+01:00

The objective of this article is to know the characteristics of gender violence in women over 65 years of age based on the perception, assessment and interpretation of workers in municipal information centers for women. For this, a qualitative investigation was carried out in which the in-depth interview was used as a technique for collecting information. The informants, eight women professionals from the legal field, psychology and social work show with their answers that gender violence in the group of women over 65 years of age is invisible and that the most women of this age do not go to the existing services to report their situation. The professionals attribute this situation to causes such as the naturalization of the violence they suffer, resignation, strong economic dependence, social pressure or even the non-identification or recognition of certain types of behaviors as forms of abuse. The main forms of violence against these women are psychological and economic, which is why social and institutional support is essential in their recovery process and in achieving an independent and autonomous life.

Absolute Illiteracy in European Union Policies. Exploring the Intersections of Gender, Migration and Education

2024-01-22T18:18:55+01:00

In the context of a study focused on the absolute illiteracy of migrant women in Europe, this article assesses the extent to which European Union policy instruments on gender, migration and education incorporate an intersectional perspective. The analysis was based in the content analysis of a selected group of EU policy documents and included i) the close and iterative reading and thematic codification of the texts; ii) the word frequency counting of relevant terms; and iii) the assessment of intersectionality through a set of quality criteria. Apart from revealing the invisibility of absolute illiteracy as a policy problem, results confirm previous evidence showing that the presence of intersectional approaches in EU public policy is still marginal. Some attempts to address the intersectionality of gender, migration or education inequalities have been identified in the selected documents, but a comprehensive policy framework to understand and address those inequalities is still lacking. The article adds up to the existing scholarship claiming for more inclusive policies in contemporary European societies.