Conciliation and tensions between work and family for women holders of Bolsa Família

Abstract

This paper discusses conditions faced by women holders of grants from Program Bolsa Família (PBF) in reconciling paid work and family care, the obstacles to this reconciliation, and the possible positive and negative impacts on the situation of women, with a view to reducing gender inequalities. Based on a survey held in two Brazilian cities, Curitiba (Paraná) and Fortaleza (Ceará), we point out the difficulties in sharing household care tasks with other family members and increasing responsibility as a result of PBF conditions. As an outcome of those difficulties, we highlight the tensions experienced by those women and reiterate the criticism to the welfare approach to public policy.

Keywords:
care; paid work; gender; poverty; conditional income transfer