Large families face discrimination in Spain, institute reports

The spokesman of the Institute for Family Policy in Spain, Mariano Martinez-Aedo, recently warned that although “large families carry out countless and wide-ranging roles” in the country, they continue to suffer discrimination.

He noted on Dec. 1 that while there are more than one million large families (with five or more children) in the country, only 466,150 of them were recognized as such by the government in 2009.

Martinez-Aedo said pro-family policies in Spain are “practically non-existent,” and that “social aid is confused with family aid.” Income limits are set so low that “the vast majority of families” are not able to quality for the little aid that is available, he explained.

A reform of the policies on large families “is necessary and urgent,” the spokesman continued, saying large families must be “recognized and protected by society and by those in public office.” If not, he continued, they will continue to be the targets of “unjust discrimination.”