Gender Policy

This chapter discusses how Spain transitioned from being a latecomer to an early-adapter country in the field of gender equality and LGBTI policy. Such transformation is assessed against the type of gender regime that has taken root in the country as regards the share of women in the workforce, the degree of inequality in employment, the reach and scope of public childcare provision, the levels of women’s representation in decision-making positions and the guarantee of sexual and reproductive rights. The chapter also looks at the implementation of state feminism, paying attention to the strength of both the regulatory framework on gender equality and of equality promotion institutions. In outlining major policy advances, it also examines how the European Union and the multilevel structure of Spain have shaped gender equality and LGBTI policy. Lastly, it discusses the extent to which conservative setbacks and gendered austerity measures have jeopardized progress in these policy areas, fuelling the mobilization of the women’s movement.