"זו המציאות שאני מכירה": רווחה תעסוקתית אצל נשים במקצועות הטיפול בעמותות בישראל

Background: Following cuts in government welfare budgets and the expansion of privatization processes and contracting out of social services, in recent decades, nonprofit organizations have become major providers of social services in Israel, employing many workers, mostly women.These nonprofit organizations have become a major source of employment for women in the care professions, especially women from disadvantaged groups, such as Palestinian women, ultra-Orthodox women, and women from Ethiopia and the former USSR.Aims: The article presents a study that examined the employment of women in the care, welfare,and health professions - including social workers, occupational therapists, art therapists, and more- in nonprofit organizations in Israel. The article is based on the concept of “occupational welfare.”This is a term that Prof. David Bar-Gal researched, expanded, and contributed to in various contexts,including work-related welfare systems, occupational social work, and employee welfare in general.Methods: The research method chosen was qualitative. In-depth interviews were conducted with 40women with post-secondary education employed in the care professions of nonprofit organizations that provide contracted social services. Materials were analyzed through thematic analysis (TA). Findings: The findings describe various aspects of occupational welfare among the women interviewed: dismal working conditions, blurring of boundaries between work and home, and lack of motivation for policy change.Conclusions and implications for policy: A renewed discussion of the concept of occupational welfare in the current welfare state is needed, especially in the context of contracted-out social services through nonprofit organizations.