Social workers in Tenerife raise the alarm: harassment, contempt, and risk to life

Her name is not Maria (name changed for security reasons), but she speaks on behalf of many women who, like her, perform important but undervalued work.

Maria is a social worker from Tenerife. Since 2018, she has been helping people at home through Atende, a company that partners with the Municipal Social Assistance Service (SAD).

Every day, Maria sees how difficult life is for the elderly, people with disabilities, and those who have difficulty getting around.

She helps them wash, buy groceries, accompanies them to doctors, and simply keeps them from feeling lonely. "For many, we are the only connection to the world," says Maria.

But, according to her, it often happens that people who need medical help only ask to have their homes cleaned.

Maria told DIARIO DE AVISOS that 92% of SAD workers are women. Out of nearly 300 people, only 16 are men, the rest are women. They complain that their work is not valued and that institutions and companies do not care about them. According to her, no one monitors how services are provided, the hourly wage has decreased since the service was transferred to the Autonomous Community, and they have to clean in homes where there are no normal sanitary conditions, sometimes among cockroaches, bedbugs, or rats. In addition, there are cases of sexual harassment by patients.

Maria herself has been a victim of sexual harassment. Since the beginning of this year, SAD workers have reported seven such cases, and two of them happened to Maria. In her seven years of work, she has experienced situations that, according to her, have greatly affected her psychological state, and she had to see a psychologist.

"The first case happened four years ago in the home of one of the clients. He was depressed, and I was assigned to him because I am sensitive and kind. I helped him, cleaned his house, and went for walks with him. He started to think we were a couple," she explains.

"When I found out about this, I talked to him and told him that I had a boyfriend, and I stopped kissing him on the face and only shook his hand. He didn't like that. He started giving me strange tasks, like carrying 20 kilograms of groceries, going to a bar for coffee, or taking off my apron. I complained to the company, but they told me that they had no one to replace me and that I should just put up with it. But one day he came up to me, kissed me, and told me to watch porn. Then I left and told the coordinator what had happened and that I refused to provide this service. But instead of punishing this man, another assistant was sent to him," says Maria. "This man had problems with many girls. He treats us with contempt, but they continue to send an assistant to him," she adds.

The second case of sexual harassment happened to Maria three months ago. "I came to bathe a woman. When I went to hang up the towels, her husband came up, pressed his face against mine, and said that the clothesline was broken. I asked him to move away from me. After a while, he came back and started stroking my face. I took my bag and left, and told the coordinator about it. I don't know what happened to this service, but I think it is still being provided."

Maria says that the worst thing is that you start blaming yourself, become withdrawn, and change. "I used to be happy to go to work, but now I'm afraid and can't even fall asleep. I hide it from my husband and daughters because I'm ashamed and scared. If I have to pass by these houses, I try to avoid them so I don't meet these people who took advantage of my kindness and made me feel raped."

Maria emphasizes that cases of harassment happen often, and no one does anything. The assistant is simply removed from the service and another one is put in her place, who experiences the same thing again. These are repeat offenders, and only three services have been terminated thanks to the persistence of the Equality Commission. "We are in houses behind closed doors in the territory of the abuser. When the door closes, we have nowhere to run," the workers complain.

She claims that the company does not cancel the social assistance certificate until the city council gives an order, which never happens because they believe that these are vulnerable people. "And I ask myself, when does their vulnerability end and ours begin? Recently, a man in Galicia killed a colleague who was providing assistance at home. Does something like that have to happen here to realize this? We are deaths foretold, and we are asking for help so that we are not left alone behind closed doors."

Maria notes that we are doing a job, and that doesn't mean it should cost us our lives. Therefore, more protection is needed so that we can go home with guards or that people with depression or schizophrenia are referred to specialists. She demands that services be monitored because there are people who do not need them. In addition, most users treat us with contempt, which affects our mental state, and we stop trusting people.

Maria says that the Equality Commission is concerned that there are more and more cases of harassment. For many, going to work is torture because we don't know what we will face. No one imagines how much poverty there is in Santa Cruz. And no one listens to us, who see it with our own eyes. We feel frustrated and powerless.

Teresa, 48, was killed on July 29 by a man in Pontevedra against whom she had filed a complaint of sexual harassment. SAD workers in Santa Cruz believe that this case could be repeated if more measures are not taken.