A feminização da pobreza advinda da divisão sexual do trabalho: uma análise da desigualdade social no Brasil pela perspectiva de gênero e raça

Abstract

The feminization of poverty is a phenomenon that was first mentioned in 1978 by American sociologist Diane Pearce, who sought to portray the trend towards an increase in the proportion of women among the poorest population, as well as the increase in female-headed households in the United States (IPEA, 2005). Even with the empirical perception of the feminization of poverty, the origins and structures of the phenomenon in Brazil have not been deeply investigated. For this reason, this dissertation seeks to investigate the existence of the feminization of poverty in Brazil, analysing the relationship with the sexual division of labour, from the intersectional perspective of race and gender. The sexual division of labor assigns women activities that are devalued and overload their routine, interfering with their experience in the labor market, which results in a more aggravated experience of poverty. This imbalance in reproductive activities interferes with the search for equality for all marginalized subjects (Hirata, 2004), reflecting the patriarchal, capitalist and colonial hierarchies that organize society. The research is justified by the need to understand the context of intergenerational female poverty, which burdens and harms women and has repercussions on social and economic inequalities for society as a whole, especially for the working class. The methodology used was a bibliographical review of texts on the feminization of poverty and gender inequality in the Brazilian context, as well as the main national and international institutional documents dealing with the issue. Texts on the sexual division of labor and the main current parameters on poverty were also reviewed. In addition, data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and made available by the Federal Executive Branch on income, occupation and domestic services were analyzed in order to identify the main groups that are among the poorest in Brazil. To this same end, the policy and data of the Bolsa Família Program and CadÚnico were also analyzed, taking into account the relevance of both to the fight against poverty in Brazil. The conclusion is that the feminization of poverty exists and mainly harms black women, who, due to their colonial and slave heritage, are mainly responsible for carrying out reproductive work, which is systematically devalued in order to marginalize and subordinate them.