On 15 October 2026, the organisation of care and caring work is once again at the centre of public debate in Spain The trigger is an essay published in Murcia on elDiario.es, which makes the daily reality of unpaid care visible and calls for political responses. At the same time, supporters of a comprehensive approach to care point to the Opinión Consultiva OC‑31/25 issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in 2025, which describes care as a distinct protected interest encompassing being cared for, providing care and self-care.
In Spain, there is in fact a growing gap between the social welfare state’s promise and the care actually provided. A substantial share of care is unpaid, mostly provided by women, often within families or through informal arrangements. This leads to overburdening, financial risks and unequal opportunities in paid employment. There are also marked differences between the Autonomous Communities in access to, quality of and funding for services, such as home support, day centres and long-term care.
The legal position needs to be clearly distinguished: the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ opinion OC‑31/25 offers a normative frame of reference, but is not binding on Spain. Spain is not a member of the Organisation of American States, so the Court’s jurisdiction does not extend to the country. Reference to this Opinión Consultiva is therefore intended to provide political guidance, not to bring about an immediate change in the law.
Politically, the debate raises fundamental questions: how should care infrastructure be expanded, who should bear the costs, and what working conditions should apply to professional care workers? Health and social services administrations would need to strengthen staffing, training and care capacity. Labour-market and equality policies face the task of unpaid care work making it visible and easing the burden, for example through rights to time off, income compensation and reliable services. Civil society groups are calling for a policy of protection that is not guided solely by market logic.
Attributed statements and forecasts remain cautious: recognising care as a politically relevant legal interest increases pressure to act, but does not replace national legislative initiatives. Whether Spain makes changes in the short term will be measured by concrete budget decisions, the expansion of local services and harmonised standards between the Autonomous Communities. The current occasion draws attention to a structural challenge: organising care reliably as public infrastructure, rather than leaving it largely to unpaid care work.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).