La feminización de los cuidados como desafío no resuelto de los Estados de Bienestar: aproximación al caso de España

Abstract

Abstract

Contemporary welfare states face an unresolved challenge regarding the social organisation of care, particularly in Mediterranean societies such as Spain. This study aims to analyse the distribution of informal care in Spain from a gender and age perspective. A quantitative approach is adopted, based on the analysis of secondary data from Study No. 3506 of the Centre for Sociological Research (CIS) on living conditions, work, family and gender in Spain. Using descriptive and inferential analyses (Student’s t-test, ANOVA and Chi-square), the study examines the time devoted to informal care, the distribution of household activities within cohabiting couples, and the repercussions on work performance. The results reveal the persistence of statistically significant gender inequalities. Women devote more hours per week to both domestic tasks and caring for family members. Furthermore, tasks such as cleaning, laundry and meal preparation remain highly feminised. Although there are signs of a more balanced distribution of certain activities among younger generations, gender gaps persist structurally. The mass entry of women into the labour market has not been accompanied by an equivalent redistribution of care responsibilities. In this context, there is a growing need to rethink the model of caregiving between the family, the market and the state, incorporating a perspective aimed at reducing social and gender inequalities.