The / os most vulnerable III: women

Exploited and oppressed, workers, poor, housewives and racialized Covid-19 suffer more crudely.

By Laura Jaén

Last 14 of March, the president of the coalition government "progressive", He decreed a state of alarm in Spain, before a health crisis that put the whole world on alert. At the same time, coping economic and social crisis which the Spanish people (deeper for some than for other social sectors) I was going to have to start dealing, Pedro Sánchez, pulls out a package of measures to mitigate the negative effects that COVID-19 begins to leave the labor and social sphere. But, only because of the Coronavirus? No, the truth is that we must take into account the economic situation of the Spanish State part, and that before the coronavirus arrived, and there were occasional warning was shaken our economy and that sooner or later would have its consequences. For our state came addressing the situation with a public debt of the 95,8% del START, It is according to data released by the Bank of Spain.  

And what does it matter what situation we come if all you care about is winning the battle against the virus, ¿no? you are right, mainly, but the battle would be easier if politicians and policies give more importance to public health, science, investigation, rights workers, work-life balance, etc. So now, and again as it happened in 2008, not re-pay this crisis the most vulnerable working people and particularly people.

As well says my companion Isa Ruíz, social and economic consequences, They do not affect each and everyone equally, but this is a pandemic with class bias, especially the most defenseless. At the moment they make public the closure of schools, colleges and universities because of the covid-19, all families are clear that the organization and the way of life of these, You will change completely. But responsibility, mental burden and the biggest concern, certainly falls on women, even grandmothers. For most mothers, It is a responsibility to leave their children with grandparents, considering the high possibility of contagion of the latter,  but when you have very young children, even babies at home, you combine it with a good performance in telework is totally unworkable, Y "someone will have to look after the children while ". To this reduces many of the testimonies of working mothers who are in this situation, but sometimes many of them do not even have the option of telecommuting, or the problem is directly the most precarious conditions of work.  

…the battle would be easier if politicians and policies give more importance to public health, science, investigation, rights workers, etc.

As well, If we add to this poor work-life balance that exists in our country, it turns out that child care (they were on schedule before college / institute and therefore in the public domain) again fit into the private sphere that falls on women, like also to the care elderly dependents in this situation influences.

 The closure of schools in this country means a deepening of the reprivatization of care and domestic work, "If they had not cut public services and health care, the problem probably would have another dimension "as well says Carmen Castro, feminist economist. Thus, the question we did at the beginning is so important. It is better from relationships economic, social, labor policies and covered by a perspective gender to address more adequately, not just pandemics and major crises economic, but all life situations.

Royal Decree-Law 8/2020, from 17 of March, urgent extraordinary measures to address the economic and social impact of the COVID-19, effectively it provides certain measures of reconciliation for all types of families, but so insufficient. It allows "and female employees, which are responsible people dependent, They will be eligible for adjustment or reduction of their day, with the consequent reduction of the salary proportional " That is to say, that not only women will have less work, but also they will be a little poorer. They are primarily women who avail themselves of these measures, perhaps even they end in a dismissal taking into account the economic crisis we will have when this is over.

…not only women will have less work, but also they will be a little poorer.

Thus, woman again falls into one of the most vulnerable sectors and more victims after a crisis, which sharpens even further feminization of poverty.  Is actually it worsens when it comes to immigrant women and racialized, what add to the oppression and exploitation of prejudice and racism sectors most reactionary society.

In this sense, to the like are businesses that must be ordered to deploy all necessary measures to fulfill the duty of protection, even if the work is at home (art. 14 Law 31/1995, 8 of November, Occupational Risk Prevention), These same companies should have the same obligation to ensure that there is a work-life balance real, worrying coordinate and complement the work schedules families (both as single-mother single) in order to have a deal co-responsible for the care and housework, and thus a more result optimum teleworking.

It is not "allow" to the working man and woman, It is the responsibility between parents is a priority and an obligation for companies and the government. If the work-life balance were real, the feminization of poverty would be much lower. Therefore it is necessary to humanize labor relations, as well as transform and replace the corporate culture and economic sexist and patriarchal predominating. Forcing companies to ensure labor conciliation, and put pressure on the government to take substantive action against these situations. This requires organized, and take to the streets to demand that the government stop responding only to the interests of the 1%, and that puts the rights of women and working mothers to capitalist interests, as we do from Socialism and Freedom (SOL) and the International Socialist League (LIS).