For much of her adult life, Mirta describes herself as a homemaker. She cared for her daughter and for her parents. When her daughter was older, Mirta began working as a secretary in her husband's law office.
The interview records this paid work as beginning around 1994 and ending in 2005. No written contract was reported. Mirta says that without formal employment and social-security contributions, reaching retirement was difficult; she later paid several years of contributions before applying for her pension.
Today she is widowed and lives alone. She reports receiving her own retirement pension and a widowhood pension, recorded together at around ARS 772,000 per month, while family members also help financially. She describes the pension as barely enough to cover her expenses.
Mirta worries that growing informality will leave future workers facing the same difficulty in retirement. That concern is an important part of what she wanted the interview to communicate.