1. Spain’s Mediterranean welfare and the family
Strong household micro-solidarity, manifested in intra-family pooling of resources and mutual support and care between family members.
The self-reliance of families has traditionally been taken for granted by governments in matters of social care and material support.
Social policy arrangements based on the overexploitation of family resources, and principally those provided by women.

2. Spanish developments in social policy
A via media between both Bismarckian Continental and liberal Anglo-Saxon worlds of welfare capitalism. Inputs and traits of the Social-Democratic Nordic welfare typology also incorporated.
More liberal in macroeconomic policies, but generalization and universalization of welfare entitlements and provision.
Most relevant institutional factor is decentralization both at the level of planning and policy implementation.

3. Recent past, present and future
Sharp increase of female activity rate mainly related to the combination of high level of education and low fertility.
Conflict between society’s expectations of women’s role as mothers and their professional aspirations.
Interrelationship of family, work and gender co-responsibility as the main challenge facing Spain's welfare in the coming decades.

4. Activity, employment and unemployment in Spain (1976-2009)
Activity, employment and unemployment in Spain ( ). Women, 16> years old

5. Activity rates by age cohort and civil status (1987-2009)

6. Activity rates by age cohort and civil status (1987-2009)

7. Longitudinal change in activity rates for age cohort. Married women

8. Longitudinal change in activity rates for age cohort. Single women

9. Female Employment Rate (1987-2009) UE-15, Women aged 25 to 49
1990
1995
2000
2005
2007
2009
European Union(*)
54.3
58.7
62.3
67.1
70.3
72.4
Belgium
53.7
58.8
63.9
71.8
73.0
74.8
75.8
Denmark
81.8
81.4
77.4
80.9
80.7
82.8
83.0
Germany
56.5
63.1
67.4
72.2
75.7
77.3
Ireland
35.5
40.5
51.4
65.2
68.8
70.5
67.6
Greece
46.1
49.3
51.1
55.1
60.7
63.0
64.3
Spain
33.3
38.9
42.0
53.4
63.6(b)
65.4
France
66.0
68.5
74.5
76.4
76.9
Italy
46.6
49.0
53.0
59.4
60.6
59.9
Luxembourg
51.3
53.6
65.6
70.6
74.0
73.2
Netherlands
48.7
53.8
62.8
73.7
77.0
80.1
82.0
Austria :
72.3
75.5
78.1
80.6
Portugal
61.3
66.5
71.0
76.3
76.5
76.6
Finland
71.1
77.1
78.6
80.0
79.7
Sweden
81.6
80.3
80.8(b)
81.7
United Kingdom
69.1
69.9
73.6
74.9

10. Female employment by civil status. UE and Spain. Women, aged 25 to 49
Source: UNECE (w3.unece.org)

11. Female employment rate by number of children (<15)
Female employment rate by number of children (<15). Women, aged 25 to 49
Source: Eurostat (

12. Female employment gap between Spain and the EU-15. Women aged 25 to 49
Source: Eurostat. 1995, 2005 and 2009

13. Fertility rates and Employment rates in Spain (1986-2004)
Fertility rates and Employment rates in Spain ( ). Women, years
Source: Active Population Survey (

14. The ‘ideal’ family for Spaniards
1990
2002
A family where both men and women work externally and share internally household activities and the care for children 45 71
A family where women work externally part-time and assume most of the household activities and the care for children 23 14
A family where men work externally and women are responsible for household activities and the care for children 27 13
Don’t knows 5 2
 Total
100
Source: CIS, Study no.1867, The social condition of women, April 1990 and Study nº 2556, Barometer February 2004.

15. The ‘real’ family of Spaniards
España
EU-25
Men and women work full-time externally 44 45
Only men work full-time externally 43 29
Men full time and women part-time 9 19
M-W full-time / M full-time and W part-time 1 2
 Only women work externally 3 5
Source: CIS, Study no. 1867, The social condition of women, April 1990 and Study no. 2556, Barometer February 2004.

16. Who takes care mostly of…? (% ‘Always/Usually women’)
1994
2004
To do the laundry 88 85
To do little repairs in the house 14 9
To care for sick members of the family 60 52
To do the shopping 68 51
To decide meals for next day 81 73

17. Weekly average of hours for the care of children (20-49 years)
Source: Eurostat 2003: The Life of Women and Men in Europe (PHOGUE, 1998).

18. Difference in weekly hours for the care of children (No
Difference in weekly hours for the care of children (No. hours women – men)
Source: Eurostat 2003: The Life of Women and Men in Europe (PHOGUE, 1998).

19. Grannies as principal agents for care…. (%)

20. Conciliation work-family in less-favoured economic situations
Strategies based on the use of family internal resources: greater incidence of the double role, plus assistance at times, provided by maternal grandmother.
Greater involvement of the mother as main responsible for providing family care and smaller participation of the father.
In the extreme: exit from the labour market .

21. Concluding remarks
One of the European countries where women work longer hours in domestic and caring activities inside the household.
Wide gender gap in the use of time for domestic and caring activities in the household (4:28 for females vs. 2:25 for males).
Favourable attitudes towards the impact of maternal employment, on the well-being of preschool children, and on an egalitarian division of roles.

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