Global care chains and empowerment through the social economy: women’s participation in care cooperatives

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to analyse women’s participation in care cooperatives as a fundamental tool for their empowerment. To this end, concepts related to migration, participation in the social economy and women’s empowerment are discussed. The situation of crisis of the traditional care system in the Global North attracts foreign female migration to partially alleviate the problem. However, these women face conditions of vulnerability and precariousness. Global care chains emerge, entailing high family and personal costs for the weakest link.In this context, this study develops a qualitative analysis based on in-depth interviews with workers from three care cooperatives in the Basque Country. The aim is to highlight, through an exploratory thematic analysis, the way in which the social economy, through care cooperatives, can be a fundamental tool for the empowerment of women (migrant or not) involved in the care sector.The analysis of the information reveals that the cooperative is an ideal way to encourage women’s participation and this, in turn, leads to increased confidence, self-esteem and, in general, a sense of empowerment for these women. However, additional difficulties and barriers are also identified for women migrants in an irregular situation.