Note from BW of Brazil: Today, as most of you know, is International Women’s Day. And as always, remind you that not all women are treated equally, and this is especially true in Brazil. The article below, courtesy of Empresa Brasil de Comunicação, touches on just of a few of the issues that are regularly featured on this blog and that led to the historic first arch of Black Brazilian Women in November of last year.
International Women’s day: Black Brazilian women suffer prejudice in the labor market
On International Women’s Day there is debate over lower wages and inadequate medical care offered to black women
Courtesy of EBC
In this special report on Dia Internacional da Mulher International Women’s Day, we recorded an interview with Luana Natielle, of the Articulação das Mulheres Negras Brasileiras (Articulation of Black Brazilian Women, and also the Centro de Feminista de Estudos e Assessoria (Cfemea or Feminist Centre for Studies and Advisory Services) (1). She denounced that “pregnant black women receive different treatment, doctors use less anesthesia assume that black women can handle more pain.”
Luana Pinheiro, planning technician of the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA), points out another position of inferiority with reference to the white woman, and recalls that “the use of the black female population in domestic employment is related to a slave heritage of Brazilian society.”
During Em Conta today (8), you can also hear the excerpts of the song “Mulheres Negras” (Black Women), sung by Yzalú, of Facção Parcial. One of the lines in song says “no, there is no Maria da Penha Law that protects us from the violence of submitting us to cleaning positions.”
“Mulheres Negras” (Black Women) by Yzalú
Another song that accompanies the program is “O Abre Alas”, by Chiquinha Gonzaga, which played an important role in the progression of women in society, at a time when she could not even vote, for example.
Some of the messages for International Women’s Day that are also in this Em Conta special:
Marcela Kawauti, chief economist at the Serviço de Proteção ao Crédito (SPC-Brasil or Credit Protection Service): “We know that women take much of the house, they participate much in this day-to-day decision, so I point out that they have gone on to have a preventive attitude and began to adjust the family budget at this economic time.”
Institutional coordinator of the Associação Brasileira de Defesa do Consumidor (Brazilian Association of Consumer) – Proteste, Maria Inês Dolci says that “despite all the achievements, the woman should not forget that she has to still have a good sensibility in the house, despite the expansion in the job market because this influences the life of the whole family.”
Finally, Em Conta also highlights the five objectives of the United Nations (UN Women). They are:
1 – Increase the participation of women.
2 – Eliminating violence against women.
3 – Engaging women in peace processes.
4 – Putting gender equality in the national budget.
5 – Improving the economic power of women.
Today’s Trocando em Miúdo (8) is also part of the special. It tells how the history of International Women’s Day began, in fact, with a tragedy with women workers of a factory in New York, who made the first strike in history. The program also tells the story of the great black heroes in Brazilian history, some unknown to most.
Source: EBC
Note
- For our readers who understand Portuguese, check out the interview here.
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