Gender Equality Policies and Social Policies in Spain: Origin, Development and Dismantlement in a context of economic crisis

Abstract

This article overviews gender equality policies in Spain, and their relation with social policies, from their origins, through their development and dismantlement in the economic crisis context. Gender equality policies have greatly developed in Spain from the beginnings of democracy. They have been institutionalized thanks to the creation of gender equality machinery at all governmental levels; they have diversified their instruments including plans, laws and gender units; and their progress from 2004 to 2008 indicated certain consolidation. However, the backlash provoked by austerity policies adopted in response to the economic crisis since 2008 have shown a lack of prioritization of equality policies when there are conflicting economic priorities. In this context, despite civil society’s mobilizations, the future of gender equality policies in Spain looks extremely uncertain.