Seminar debates the fair division of domestic labor in Afogados da Ingazeira

By Maria Aparecida Lima and Edivânia Batista
Farmers and young agroecology multipliers

On April 23, in the city of Afogados da Ingazeira, we took part in a seminar promoted by the Dom Hélder Câmara Project, with the theme “Fair Division of Domestic Labor”. The meeting brought together around 76 people, including young people and adults, as well as women from various municipalities, all with a common purpose: to reflect on the reality of inequality within households.

During the seminar, we discussed how inequality is still repeated in many homes in Brazil. Most of the time, women are responsible for most of the household chores and caring for the family, leaving them with no time for themselves. In view of this, a very important question arose: who takes care of the woman?

From the discussions, we realized that this reality is not fair. After moments of dialog and sharing experiences, we understood that changes can start with conversations and, above all, with attitudes at home. It was emphasized that housework should not be seen as “help”, but as everyone’s responsibility.

The importance of respect and equality for building a better society was also emphasized. As was stated at the meeting: without feminism, there is no agroecology; if there is racism, there is no agroecology; and without feminism, there is no fair coexistence in the semi-arid region. These reflections show that the struggle for equality is present in different areas of life.

The seminar was a time of great learning, which made us reflect on our attitudes in everyday life. We understood that it is necessary to promote changes in which responsibilities are shared equally, contributing to a fairer reality, especially for women.