ABSTRACT
Cristina Borderías examines women's waged labour in the context of Spain's late industrialisation. Through a new reading and interpretation of the data, which has under-recorded the presence of women, we are given much greater insight into the scale and range of their participation in labour markets. This provides us with a renewed understanding of women's experiences of work and their contribution to the modernisation of Spain. Women were active and made vital contributions to family incomes, in some sectors they worked in greater numbers than men. Societal response to women's presence in the workplace was complex and resistant, conflating social, cultural and economic factors, including male trade unionism. Women often worked excessive hours and were particularly prone to exploitation in certain sectors that were little regulated. The growth of the service sectors provided some opportunities to women of modest means though exclusionary practices also limited any possibility of real social advancement for women.
