Identidad femenina en la exclusión social y laboral : experiencias y estrategias de afrontamiento de mujeres en condición de discapacidad visual de una fundación en la ciudad de Guayaquil.

Abstract

This study aims to characterize how women with disabilities in contexts of social and labor exclusion in Ecuador construct their identity, analyzing their life experiences, the vulnerabilities they face, the barriers they encounter, and the coping strategies they develop. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach, employing techniques such as interviews and focus groups. The findings indicate that these women normalize cultural norms imposed by society to be emotional providers and caregivers for their families. Furthermore, the study shows how these women have had to access informal support networks (mothers) and formal support networks (institutional intervention) to adapt to fulfilling their roles as mothers and household caregivers in the face of their disabilities. Additionally, it can be observed that the deep tensions between traditional gender roles attributed to women in society—related to childcare and domestic tasks—and the limitations imposed by their visual impairment, foster resilience and a forced adaptation to dependency in order to fulfill these roles, can be identified.