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Abstract

This monograph aims to fill the existing gap in research on the social economy and gender equality from the perspective of feminist economics. The articles in this monograph, in addition to highlighting the diverse realities of social economy organizations (cooperatives, work integration enterprises, labor companies), also address various demands of the feminist economy: the development of regulations to achieve effective gender equality, the participation of women in all areas of the economy, access to decision-making bodies and positions, and the reconciliation of work and family life.

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Abstract

Cooperatives are social economy societies that give priority to the interests of the members and/or the social purpose over capital. This relevance follows the Principles of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). This study focuses mainly on the cooperative principle of democratic and participatory management in the cooperative and the principle of equality. The cooperative principle of equality implies the absence of inequality or discrimination, among other aspects, due to gender. Therefore, regardless of gender, the member of the cooperative is entitled to participate in the cooperative activity and also in the organizational structure by being part of the social bodies that manage and administer the cooperative. One of the main purposes of the current proposal for the reform of the law that promotes the social economy (Draft Comprehensive Law) is to adapt the national text to the new economic and social requirements. Consequently, the regulatory proposal promotes the cooperative principle of equality through the effectiveness of equality between men and women and, in particular, in the management of the cooperative.

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How to cite this article

VÁZQUEZ, T. (2024): “Regulatory purposes on equality gender in cooperative management”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 111, 11-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.111.27807

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Abstract

The article proposes a review of Spanish cooperative laws in order to identify provisions that promote gender equality in the composition of the management and governing bodies of these companies. Considering that equality is one of the essential values of the cooperative identity, it would be expected that the realization of this principle in corporate governance would be -at the very least- on the expected level for capitalist companies, especially publicly traded companies, with which cooperative societies share a similar corporate structure. However, further analysis reveals that, while some autonomous laws are notable for having included significant measures in these generic, corporate, economic, and promotional aspects, the majority still lack explicit commitments regarding gender equality. Therefore, it is deemed advisable to formulate a set of guidelines and recommendations on this matter, aligned with those provided in the Good Governance Code of Listed Companies, to which the entire cooperative movement should adhere, subject to the comply or explain approach. In this regard, the Principles of European Cooperative Law could serve as a valuable inspiration.

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How to cite this article

GARCÍA, A. (2024): “Gender diversity as a tool for good governance in cooperatives”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 111, 39-67. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.111.27970

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Abstract

This study examines the entrepreneurial intentions of women in the Social Economy (SE) in Galicia, focusing on the key factors for closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship and developing business models that respond to women’s needs and preferences. Based on data from the GEM-Galicia survey, it analyses the motivations, barriers, and specific dynamics of female entrepreneurship in the context of the SE. The study reveals a significant lack of knowledge of these organisational models, together with difficulties of financing and bureaucracy. The results highlight the urgent need to improve education and knowledge about SE among women and to implement supportive public policies tailored to their needs. In addition, the promotion of collaborative business models with social impact is suggested. Finally, it is concluded that specific policies, including appropriate counselling and training, can foster a more equitable environment and favour people-centred business development.

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How to cite this article

BASTIDA, M., VAQUERO, A. & VÁZQUEZ, M.A. (2024): “Building a sustainable future: women’s entrepreneurial intentions in the Social Economy”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 111, 69-95. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.111.27894

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Abstract

Women with disabilities combine various factors of exclusion that lead them to face specific situations of inequality that, consequently, lead to a deficit in their social and labor inclusion.

Social enterprises, always at the forefront of promoting access to employment for those groups most disadvantaged by society, represent an effective response to its achievement. Special Employment Centers, hereinafter CEE, as social enterprises, are the most important means of access to work for people with disabilities in general, and for women with disabilities in particular (Salinas & Marhuenda, 2020).

This article justifies the need to adopt a feminist analysis to: overcome the lack of visibility of the group, its stereotyped perception and highlight the barriers they face to overcome structural exclusions. This research presents an overview of the situation of women with disabilities in the social initiative CEE and, in addition, shows comparative data between the Valencian Community and the rest of the Spanish state. We start from a quantitative methodology based on the analysis of the INE and ODISMET databases.

The conclusions also show the need to re-elaborate the information collection indicators that, in many cases, contribute to making the real needs of this group invisible in a hidden way.

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How to cite this article

SALINAS, M.F. & MUT, E. (2024): “Social enterprises and labor inclusion of women with disabilities. Women with disabilities in the Special Employment Centers of the Valencian Community”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 111, 97-130. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.111.27952

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Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to analyse women’s participation in care cooperatives as a fundamental tool for their empowerment. To this end, concepts related to migration, participation in the social economy and women’s empowerment are discussed. The situation of crisis of the traditional care system in the Global North attracts foreign female migration to partially alleviate the problem. However, these women face conditions of vulnerability and precariousness. Global care chains emerge, entailing high family and personal costs for the weakest link.

In this context, this study develops a qualitative analysis based on in-depth interviews with workers from three care cooperatives in the Basque Country. The aim is to highlight, through an exploratory thematic analysis, the way in which the social economy, through care cooperatives, can be a fundamental tool for the empowerment of women (migrant or not) involved in the care sector.

The analysis of the information reveals that the cooperative is an ideal way to encourage women’s participation and this, in turn, leads to increased confidence, self-esteem and, in general, a sense of empowerment for these women. However, additional difficulties and barriers are also identified for women migrants in an irregular situation.

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How to cite this article

GARCIA-AZPURU, A., IZAGIRRE-OLAIZOLA, J., ETXEZARRETA-ETXARRI, A. & DÍAZ, L. (2024): “Global care chains and empowerment through the social economy: women’s participation in care cooperatives”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 111, 131-160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.111.27548

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Abstract

In Brazil, many women are victims of different forms of domestic violence, which can be physical, psychological, moral, sexual and patrimonial. Women victims of domestic violence tend to look for close people to ask for help to get out of the situation, therefore, an informal support network can be an important tool for women to feel protected and ask for help from public organizations. Given that solidarity economic enterprises (SEE) formed only by women are a space for women to strengthen each other, where they socialize and can create bonds, they can also serve as an informal support network for the women who form them, in addition to fostering their financial autonomy. The objective of this article is to identify whether SEE can be part of a support network for women, from the perspective of the women who form them. To this end, three SEE of women were investigated in the brazilian municipality of Araraquara, which has an important history of social movements and public policies aimed at the social and solidarity economy. From the semi-structured interviews carried out with 11 women from three of these SEE, it was possible to obtain results that explain what happens in the empirical field in relation to the theory, such as that women feel comfortable and trust each other, but at the same time At the same time, they do not identify patrimonial violence as violence.

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How to cite this article

RUIZ, J.S.G. & MORAIS, L.P. (2024): “Listening to women: cooperatives and social and solidarity associations as a support network, a Brazilian example”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 111, 161-190. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.111.27962

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Abstract

Cooperatives and worker-owned companies, as representatives of the Social Economy, prioritize people over capital. This prioritization is reflected in more equitable and inclusive workforces. Comparative analyses of these types of enterprises compared to commercial enterprises show smaller gender gaps, both in employment participation and in working conditions. The purpose of this paper is to determine the probability of access to positions of greater responsibility in these enterprises and to see whether women have a greater probability of access in these social economy enterprises than in commercial enterprises, concluding that they face fewer obstacles and that the glass ceiling is more fragile. Based on a decade-long analysis of labor trajectories and social security registration data, estimates indicate that female employees in cooperatives and worker-owned companies have a higher probability of reaching the highest contribution group than men. During the analyzed period, these companies have prioritized the integration of women into decision-making roles and have not faced a glass ceiling. This trend is particularly evident among workers aged over 30.

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How to cite this article

CASTRO, B., CASTRO, L., MARTÍN, V. & SANTERO-SÁNCHEZ, R. (2024): “Is the glass ceiling more fragile in the Social Economy? A Spanish cooperatives and worker-owned enterprises analysis”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 111, 191-225. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.111.27947

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Abstract

Currently, there is great interest in the participation of women in decision-making, as different studies show that the presence of women in management influences the improvement of the company’s sustainability.

This paper contributes to a better understanding of the characteristics of female leadership in agri-food cooperatives through a reference case study in Spain. The aim has been to analyse the process of women’s access to the board of directors, the characteristics of their leadership and the influence that their leadership has on business sustainability, measured through its three ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) components.

The results indicate that women join the board after demonstrating their professional skills to the members. Their leadership can be defined as transformational and is supported by the cooperative culture. It also shows that there is a positive relationship between women in leadership positions and the improvement of sustainability in agri-food cooperatives.

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How to cite this article

GARCÍA-MARTÍ, E., HERNÁNDEZ-ORTIZ, M.J., RUIZ-JIMÉNEZ, M.C., PEDROSA-ORTEGA, C. & MARTÍNEZ-JIMÉNEZ, R. (2024): “Female leadership on boards and corporate response to sustainability initiatives: An exploratory case in agri-food cooperatives”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 111, 227-259. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.111.27572

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Abstract

Digital Transformation (DT) implies the emergence of new business models based on the widespread use of digital technologies. DT is necessary to improve productivity and access to markets, however, from a gender perspective, there is a digital divide. In this research, the objective is to study the DT from a gender perspective in a specific sector, the agri-food sector, and in a type of specific social economy entity that is fundamental in rural areas, the agri-food cooperatives. In these companies, there is still a gender gap, especially due to the lower proportion of women in the management teams and, in addition, they lag behind other companies in terms of DT. Specifically, DT is analysed in these cooperatives both globally and through the analysis of each of its dimensions: infrastructures, products, organisation, processes and customers. To this end, the study is based on data from a survey among a sample of agri-food cooperatives in Extremadura, a region with a strong specialisation in the agri-food sector and where cooperatives play an important economic, social and environmental role. The results show that the presence of women in the presidency of these cooperatives has a positive influence on the presence of women in their management teams. Furthermore, there are no significant differences in the overall DT of these co-operatives with respect to the gender factor, although there are differences in the specific dimensions of “customers” and “processes”.

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How to cite this article

GUZMÁN, C., SANTOS, F.J. & AHUMADA, P. (2024): “Analysis of Digital Transformation in agri-food cooperatives from a gender perspective”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 111, 261-303. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.111.27932

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Abstract

The changes and diversity in the demographic profile of the Spanish workforce have sparked a great deal of interest, particularly in human resource management. Examining the intricate balance that individuals and organisations strike between family, gender, and work responsibilities becomes particularly crucial, especially in the context of families with children. The conflict between work and family may originate in either domain. Thus, the direction of the conflict becomes relevant at both a personal and organisational level, to understand whether work interferes with family (WFC), or family interferes with work (FWC). However, in social economy organisations these conflicts might be exhibited differently, given how these types of organisations tend to be more horizontal, social, feminine, and participative. This means that the conflict between family and work could be less harmful. With this in mind, our goal was to analyse whether children, based on their age, influence work-family conflict, and to assess any gender differences. Results revealed some differences regarding the age of children in the work-family and family-work conflict between women and men. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed throughout the paper.

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How to cite this article

VILLAJOS, E., PÉREZ-NEBRA, A., LEGARRA, M. & ELIO, E. (2024): “Work-family conflict in social economy organisations. Individual differences in the employees’ demographic profile”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 111, 305-327. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.111.28026

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Abstract

This paper aims to assess whether cooperatives are the ideal setting for promoting the work-life balance, a right whose protection has been built in close connection with the promotion of gender equality. To this end, we intend to answer the following questions: (i) What are the main dimensions of the right to work-life balance, and what is the relevance of protecting this right to promote gender equality? (ii) To what extent can the legal regime of cooperatives promote the right to work-life balance and, consequently, gender equality? (iii) What are the main facilitators and obstacles to work-life balance in cooperatives from the perspective of women and men?

From a methodological point of view, our study is based on a review of the literature, legislation, and an empirical study. The empirical analysis was based on the results of a questionnaire survey, which yielded 414 valid responses from employees of SEEs, including 62 from cooperatives. The statistical methods followed were descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests and post-hoc tests. The findings shed light on the specific challenges faced by employees in cooperatives regarding work-life balance and highlight the importance of open and supportive communication channels within the workplace and flexibility in time management. The results also suggest that cooperatives, according to the perception of employees, are the ones that promote more facilitators and that their organisational culture and climate are favourable to fostering a healthy work-life balance. The observed outcomes can be primarily attributed to the democratic and participatory management inherent in cooperative structures.

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How to cite this article

MEIRA, D., CASTRO, C. & ANTUNES, S. (2024): “The right to work-life balance in Portuguese cooperatives. A legal and empirical analysis”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 111, 329-360. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.111.28037