Between work and care: a comparative study of the trajectories of women from different social classes in Cuba and Argentina

This article presents a comparative analysis of the employment and caregiving trajectories of women from different social classes in Cuba and Argentina, framed within the broader context of persistent gender and class inequalities in Latin America. Based on 24 biographical interviews, the study shows that women's increasing participation in paid employment coexists with a disproportionate burden of caregiving responsibilities, generating tensions and constraints that affect their access to and retention in the labor market. Although both countries maintain state protectionist welfare systems, their structural differences-a socialist model with strong state involvement in Cuba and a capitalist model characterized by labor market segmentation in Argentina-do not prevent families, and particularly women, from continuing to serve as the primary providers of wellbeing. The findings reveal that women across social classes in both contexts adopt similar strategies to navigate the double burden of paid work and caregiving, illustrating the resilience and adaptability required to manage these overlapping demands. The analysis highlights the interplay between macrosocial structures such as welfare systems, mesosocial dynamics including labor markets and care policies, and microsocial dimensions shaped by individual trajectories. These multilevel interactions demonstrate how inequalities emerge at the intersection of gender, class, and care work. The article concludes by underscoring the need for comprehensive and co responsible public policies that recognize care work as a right and promote shared responsibility among the state, the market, families, and communities. Strengthening social protection systems in this direction is essential to addressing entrenched inequalities and advancing toward more equitable and sustainable models of care.