Imagine how pleasant it is to arrive at a holiday hotel and find it sparkling, ready to receive guests, or to an impeccable house where comfort reigns. Now think about that elderly neighbor who always walks accompanied by a woman on whom he leans because it is now impossible for him to walk, shower or dress alone. Although it is not always seen, behind all this there are hands that work tirelessly, but whose rights are systematically violated. For Rafaela Pimentelspokesperson for Domestic Territory, it is “another problem caused by the patriarchal and colonial culture“: the works of care and cleaningmade mostly by women, especially migrants, are naturalized and, therefore, devalued. That is why your organization together with the Kellys of Madrid have decided to join forces to show – once again – that Without them, the world would literally stop..
The collaboration between Kellys Madrid and Territorio Doméstico began two years ago in workshops where they shared their experiences and reflected on the risks to their health derived from their jobs. “We realized that we could no longer be ignored”explains Maria del Mar Jimenezspokesperson for Kellys Madrid, in a conversation with Public. This effort culminated in a set of concrete proposals that, if implemented, would transform the working conditions of thousands of them. Among the key demands, stands out the recognition of their occupational diseaseswhich until now are classified as common, ignoring the direct relationship with their work. For example, ailments such as chemical bronchitis are not officially recognized because these women do not work in industries considered “risky”, despite being exposed to toxic products on a daily basis.
Kellys Madrid and Territorio Doméstico present this November 30th the campaign “Without us the world does not move”
Under the motto “Without us the world doesn’t move”, these groups have launched a calendar for 2025 that illustrates, with photos, haikus and stories, the professional illnesses, broken bodies and daily struggles of these essential workers. The objective is clear: to raise awareness in society and demand justice in a labor system that condemns them to “slavery” and oblivion. The presentation of the campaign will take place this Saturday, November 30 at the Reina Sofía Museum.
“When I started, I did between 15 and 18 rooms in an eight-hour shift, with a decent salary and vacations according to the agreement. Now, in the best of cases, they demand 30 rooms and you charge much less,” laments María del Mar Jiménez . “They have gone from being direct hotel workers to subcontracted slaves by service companies,” he insists. Although their extreme precariousness is not only measured in euros, but is your health is at stake. “The physical wear and tear is brutal: hernias, joint problems, respiratory ailments… All fruit of a system that does not see us as workers, but as replaceable resources“, denounces Jiménez.
“They treat us like second or third class citizensdepending on whether you are a migrant. “We are tired of being squeezed and then left aside,” continues the spokesperson for Kellys Madrid. During the pandemic, it seemed to become clear that these jobs are essential for the functioning of society. However, four years later, the recognition continues to be conspicuous by its absence. “They do nothing to improve our conditions. They don’t even fulfill the promises they make to us,” criticizes María del Mar Jiménez, recalling the false hopes generated by some political figures that remained in vain.
María del Mar Jiménez: “They treat us like second or third class citizens, depending on whether you are a migrant. We are tired of being squeezed and then left aside”
At this point and after so many years of struggle – the Kellys began organizing ten years ago – she has decided to “stop biting her tongue” and does not hesitate to point out the Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Tourism as the main responsible: “It is not logical that a bullfighter retires at 55 years old and we have to drag ourselves until we are 67.”when many do not even reach that age in conditions to work,” argues Jiménez.
Rafaela Pimentel highlights, for her part, how the problems of home work and care are not at all isolated or individual issues, but rather a reflection of a structure that has historically relegated women to the margins of the formal economy and to the private sphere. It is for this reason “to a large extent” that these jobs have been carried out in precarious conditions and lacking labor rights equivalent to other sectors. An inequality that is reinforced by lack of institutional and social recognition of the value of these tasks.
Rafaela Pimentel: “This debt is not only economic, but also recognition”
From her collective, Territorio Doméstico, Pimentel denounces that care work can no longer be understood as an exclusively feminine obligation, an extension of their traditional roles, but must be assumed as a shared responsibility. This means that “men must be actively involved in care and the State must stop looking the other way,” implementing public policies that dignify and regulate this sector. As the campaign itself points out, care and domestic work “does not move alone”, and its naturalization has allowed “the physical and mental wear and tear of these workers to be perpetuated without any solution.”
Neither Pimentel nor Jiménez forget, however, that this problem is not only work-related, but deeply intersectional: It disproportionately affects migrant women, many of them in situations of additional vulnerability due to lack of papers or limited access to basic rights such as healthcare or registration. This double discrimination, based on gender and origin, It reflects the “historical debt” that society and the State have with care. In the words of Pimentel: “This debt is not only economic, but also recognition.” Hence what they claim has to do with a historical reparation that covers all women who, for generations, have sustained life without receiving anything in return.
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