Impact of the feminization of caregiving on children with disabilities

Abstract

With the accelerated aging of the population due to the increase in life expectancy and the consequent decrease in physical, mental and intellectual capacities, the need for permanent care becomes evident and the importance of having a caregiver becomes relevant. This scenario is also present in a proportion of the population that includes children with disabilities, as a group that requires continuous care and attention. This caregiving role has historically been performed by women as a consequence of established social norms directly related to beliefs linked to the female gender. This leads to the assignment of specific roles and functions to each gender, the product of a historical and social construction developed taking into account biological, psychosocial, economic and political factors. Informal care represents a form of unpaid work that is carried out through affective and family relationships within the home, associated with women, resulting in work that is made invisible.

In Chile, in the past, government policies oriented towards people with disabilities were characterized by welfare and charitable approaches. Progressively, the perspective based on assistance and biomedicine has been overcome, giving priority to a human rights approach and recognizing this group as an integral part of a social and political system, with aspects that go beyond the merely biological. Within the current political framework, specific guidelines and measures are established with the purpose of improving the quality of life of women who are dedicated to caregiving responsibilities.

The country is facing multiple challenges related to the care of people with disabilities and their need for assistance. Long-term care has been entrusted mainly to private settings, and this situation has influenced the formulation of government policies.