domestic workers They are once again at the center of social debate on the occasion of International Day which is celebrated on March 30th. In various cities in Spain, especially in Castilla y León and AragonSocial organizations and public administrations have taken to the streets to remind everyone that those who clean houses, care for the elderly and children, or perform domestic tasks carry out an essential profession that still suffers from precariousness, the underground economy, and a lack of recognition.
While highlighting the progress made in recent years—such as access to unemployment benefits or improved social security contributions—the organizations that support this group warn that Full equality of rights remains an unfinished taskThe reality described by Caritas, city councils and domestic workers' platforms paints a picture of a clearly feminized sector, with a very high presence of migrant women, many in an irregular administrative situation, and with special vulnerability in the case of live-in workers.
Body of the news
In Zaragoza, the City Council has joined the International Domestic Workers' Day with the “Care” awareness campaign, visible these days in streets and city busesUnder the slogan "Respect the labor rights of domestic and care workers," the initiative aims to inform the public about the labor rights of those who work in domestic service and in the care of dependent persons.
The council points out that domestic work includes very diverse tasksCleaning, home maintenance, care for the elderly or children, meal preparation, ironing, and clothing repair, among many other tasks. The Councilor for Equality and Minister of Social Policies, Marian Orós, emphasizes that these individuals “care for families and sustain households,” performing a function they consider essential for the daily functioning of society.
With this campaign, the Zaragoza City Council is making an explicit appeal to the citizens recognize the social and labor value of domestic professionals and ensure that the hiring is done legally, with registration in Social Security and with all the guarantees required for any other job.
In addition to the visual campaign, the council has scheduled a day for April 10 entitled “The commodification of domestic work”The event, moderated by sociologist Ana Lucía Hernández Cordero, will feature a discussion by Sofía Jiménez, associate professor at the University of Zaragoza, addressing the transformations of domestic and care work in the digital economy, while researcher Gabriela Poblet will present her book, “Maids of Globalization: Domestic Service, Gender, and Contemporary Migrations.”
All of this is framed within a context in which, despite legal reforms, precariousness and the underground economy They remain very present in this field, which is also “deeply feminized.” 95% of those registered with the Special System for Domestic Employees of the Social Security system are women, and around 45% are foreign nationals, making this sector the one with the highest presence of migrant women in the Spanish labor market.
Membership and employment statistics reflect a significant gap between declared and actual workIn January 2025, there were just over 350.000 people registered in the Special Regime for Domestic Workers, the lowest figure since the system's creation in 2012. However, the National Statistics Institute's (INE) Labor Force Survey indicates that some 568.000 women report working as domestic employees. This difference, exceeding 38%, suggests that more than 200.000 domestic workers continue to lack contracts and basic social protection.
Behind these numbers there are personal stories marked by vulnerabilityEstefany, Yuri, Wendi, and Alicia, whose testimonies have been shared in public events and meetings organized by Caritas, give voice to a group that demands something as basic as contracts that respect real working hours and dignified treatment within the homes where they provide their services.
According to these organizations, approximately the 95% of people who work in domestic service are womenAnd around half are foreign nationals with legal status, although many remain undocumented. This combination of gender, origin, and, in some cases, irregular immigration status increases the risk of exploitation and limits their ability to claim rights.
This is the case for women like Yuri AriasA victim of the armed conflict in Colombia, who after six months in Spain managed to regularize her immigration status and turn to Cáritas for training. She recounts that her first jobs in Burgos were characterized by workdays exceeding eight hours for minimal pay. Only after some time did she find employment with a family that respected her working hours and her rights. Similar experiences are repeated in many provinces, as illustrated by the case of Wendi Raquel Núñez, who arrived in Zamora a year ago and is still having difficulty finding a stable contract.
In this scenario, the March 30, International Domestic Workers' DayIt has become a key date for social organizations, unions, citizen platforms and administrations to demand the dignification of the sector, remembering that, without this work, it would be very difficult to sustain the care system and the reconciliation of thousands of families.
Mobilizations and events in Castile and León
In Castile and León, the regional network of Caritas and other entities have scheduled various rallies, circles of silence and awareness-raising events To raise awareness of the situation of domestic workers, simultaneous demonstrations have been held in central squares in Burgos, Aranda de Duero, and Briviesca, where manifestos are read and testimonies from domestic workers are collected.
The mobilizations, driven by slogans such as “Your home, their profession” Or, as they say, “It’s a job, not a favor,” emphasizing a central idea: domestic work is a profession with rights, not informal help or a personal favor. Through regional manifestos, they highlight the progress achieved, including unemployment protection, the elimination of dismissal without justification, the obligation to give prior notice, and inclusion in the prevention of occupational hazards, as well as the increase in the minimum wage.
However, the entities emphasize that Full parity with the rest of the labor sectors has not yet been achievedNon-existent contracts, working hours that exceed what was agreed, wages below the legal minimum, and gaps in social protection continue to be detected, especially for live-in domestic workers who reside in the home where they work.
Caritas Bierzo, for example, acknowledges that in recent years there have been notable improvements in the conditions of many women dedicated to domestic work, but she emphasizes that there are still “new challenges ahead.” In Ponferrada alone, the organization facilitated 17 placements last year and has already added several this year, mostly for immigrant women who sometimes arrive without legal status and face labor abuses.
Caritas Diocesana de Astorga emphasizes that domestic workers continue to be exposed to abuse, precariousness and lack of protectionThat is why they are calling for the joint involvement of administrations, employers and society in general, with the aim of recognizing the value of domestic work and promoting decent working conditions.
In the diocese of Palencia, the initiative Church for Decent Work The organization dedicated its March Circles of Silence to domestic workers, mostly women of foreign origin who suffer precarious employment and a lack of social protection. During a public event on Calle Mayor, a manifesto was read highlighting that, despite the rights won, the underground economy and lack of recognition continue to profoundly affect the sector.
In Salamanca, the Platform of Entities for Employment and the Roundtable for Domestic Employment, which brings together unions and NGOs, has organized a intercultural snack and an apron march as meeting places for workers, organizations, and the public. The march culminates in a rally where a manifesto is read with demands similar to those of the rest of the community.
Spokespeople like Concha Llorente, from the HOAC in Salamanca, point out that live-in domestic workers continue to experience situations in which the day seems to never endMany care for dependent people in a context of isolation, with little rest and without a clear separation between work and personal life, which hinders the basic exercise of rights.
Precariousness, the underground economy, and internal employment
One of the most repeated complaints at the different events is the persistence of the underground economyIn Zamora, for example, Cáritas Diocesana estimates that of the more than one thousand people who work in domestic service, around 70% do so without a contract, a percentage that demonstrates the normalization of irregularity in this area.
The organization's general secretary, Beatriz Carracedo, points out that the slogan "Your home, their profession" aims to highlight that This work is not occasional help or a personal favor.but rather a job that must comply with the law. According to the organization, many families are considering whether or not to formalize the contract, something that doesn't happen in other sectors and reflects a distorted perception of domestic work.
The director of the Cáritas Zamora Employment Program, María León Gabo, points out that the Recent legislative changes have not yet been fully translated in everyday improvements. Cases continue to be detected without social security contributions, without occupational risk assessments, and with schedules, breaks, and duties that do not conform to what was agreed upon or to the regulations.
The difficulties are especially intense in the case of the live-in workersFor those whose workplace and residence are the same, many households do not respect rest periods or the right to disconnect, despite being legally protected. Furthermore, tensions persist due to cohabitation, the use of shared spaces, and a lack of privacy.
Organizations such as Cáritas and HOAC insist that many of these women live "practically trapped by endless workdays," with very high responsibilities in caring for dependent people and without close social networks, especially in the rural environment or in small municipalities where isolation is greater.
In cities like Ávila, the employment coordinator of Cáritas Diocesana, Jesús Gil Martín, points out that we are facing a highly feminized collectiveThe population is 90% women, mostly between 35 and 55 years old, and approximately half of them are migrants. Many work in villages with very few residents, which further complicates their social interaction and their ability to organize to demand their rights.
Migration, gender and social recognition
The employment data handled by the different Caritas dioceses in Castile and León coincide in one diagnosis: The majority of people employed in domestic work and caregiving are migrant women.It is estimated that around 45% of those working in this sector in Spain are of foreign origin, and in many provinces this figure exceeds 50%.
This reality generates a double discriminationOn the one hand, there is the inequality that affects women in the labor market; on the other, there is the inequality associated with migrant origin and, in many cases, with irregular immigration status. This combination results in low wages, unstable employment, difficulties accessing benefits, and multiple risks of abuse.
Social organizations emphasize that nearly one in ten domestic workers are in situations linked to... social exclusionThese are women who, in addition to enduring precarious working conditions, face obstacles in accessing housing, healthcare, or regularizing their status in Spain.
In events held in Ponferrada, Ciudad Rodrigo and Zamora, it has been emphasized that society It cannot continue to support the care system on the basis of precarity.Without the work of these professionals, they say, many families would have difficulty balancing work and family life, and a significant portion of elderly or dependent people would not receive the care they need.
Caritas points out that its job placement work has led to the signing of dozens of contracts in the domestic sector in different regions, but warns that It is not enough to simply place the workersA cultural change is also needed, one that recognizes that cleaning, caring for people, preparing meals, or organizing the house are tasks that require professionalism and should be paid and regulated like any other job.
Demands on the State, employers and society
The manifestos read these days share a number of claims directed to different bodiesFirst, they demand that the State guarantee access to care for families in need, through measures to support legal hiring and clear and courageous regulation of domestic work, especially live-in domestic work.
Public administrations are also being asked to... legislation without loopholesthat will finally bring the rights of domestic workers in line with those of any other sector. The organizations insist that the regulations must better specify aspects such as rest periods, occupational risk prevention, and dismissal conditions, and that it is necessary to strengthen inspections to combat the underground economy.
Secondly, the manifestos appeal directly to employers, asking them to offer decent working conditions and contracts that comply with the lawwithout resorting to informal agreements or perpetuating situations of exploitation. They are reminded that paying what is due, respecting schedules, and recognizing vacations and rest periods are part of their obligations, just as in any employment relationship.
Society as a whole is also being challenged. Caritas and other organizations encourage to recognize the value of this workThey aim to highlight good practices and report abuses when they are detected. They emphasize that domestic work is not a favor, but a job, and that the rights of domestic workers are the responsibility of the entire community.
Finally, the manifestos are addressed to the workers themselves so that organize themselves, learn about their rights, and lose their fear of reporting. unfair situations. In several events, the importance of joining associations, participating in support networks, and turning to social organizations or unions when irregularities are detected has been emphasized.
The series of campaigns, rallies, and testimonies that have taken place in cities such as Zaragoza, Burgos, Aranda de Duero, Briviesca, Ponferrada, Astorga, Palencia, Salamanca, Zamora, Ciudad Rodrigo, and Ávila paint a single picture: Domestic workers sustain homes, families, and care every day.However, they continue to face high levels of job insecurity, nonexistent contracts, endless working hours, and little recognition. Even with the regulatory progress made, organizations agree that there is still a long way to go before this profession is treated as what it is: a fundamental pillar of social welfare that deserves full rights, stability, and respect.