Desafios e potencialidades das mulheres na cadeia de reciclagem no Brasil

as catadoras de materiais recicláveis

Abstract

This article, resulting from the presentation at the 11th Congress of the Consejo Europeo de Investigaciones Sociales de América Latina (CEISAL), held in 2025 at the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, integrates the debates of the seminar Intersecciones, redes y encuentros entre Justicia Ambiental, Sostenibilidad, Cultura(s) y Género(s), organized by Professors María Almudena Cabezas González, from the Complutense University of Madrid, and Romina Bianchini, from the National University of Cuyo. Although it was not presented in the axis directly related to the Campos Neutrais journal, it strongly resonates with the discussions of the seminar Science, Environment and Information, also promoted at CEISAL. The study analyzes the intersections between gender and socio-productive inclusion in the context of waste pickers organizations in Brazil, with an emphasis on the role of women. The objective is to understand how gender inequalities affect their trajectories, access to rights, and social recognition. The methodology was based on bibliographic review, documentary analysis, and secondary data from recent research on the sector. The results reveal that women, especially Black women, are the majority in organizations and play central roles, yet remain invisible and subject to precarious conditions. It is concluded that valuing women’s work in the recycling chain requires public policies sensitive to the intersections of gender, race, and class, ensuring greater protagonism, social protection, and decent working conditions, which are fundamental for building a fair and sustainable waste management model..