COVID-19 and female immigrant caregivers in Spain: Cohabiting during lockdown

From a gender perspective, female immigrant domestic caregivers have been particularly impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic: first, as female immigrants, and second, due to their work within the domestic care sector, which has been so badly affected in this pandemic. This study investigates the emotions and experiences of 15 female Latin American immigrant domestic workers, caregivers in five Andalusian cities (Seville, Cadiz, Malaga, Huelva and Cordoba) (Spain) who were cohabiting with their employees/patients during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, using qualitative research through in-depth interviews and life stories. The results show the moral debt accrued by the caregivers with the family who employ them, while worsening the physical and psychological health of many of the caregivers, due to both work overload and fear of the global pandemic.

Automated summary

This study examined the emotions and experiences of 15 female Latin American immigrant domestic workers living with their employers/patients in five Andalusian cities during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing a moral debt between caregivers and the families who employ them, as well as physical and psychological health challenges arising from work overload and fear of the global pandemic.