The United Women's Organization of the Gleba XV de Novembro

brazilian female farmers and local development

Abstract

Brazilian
female farmers have long faced and still face devaluation, oppression and violence. But
after decades of struggle for professional recognition, rights and multidimensional public policies, it is possible to observe changes. This article aims to present the process of female
empowerment through the United Women’s Organization(UMOS) of the Gleba XV de
Novembro Settlement in Rosana, in the interior of the state of São Paulo, showing how these
women have achieved success not only in obtaining income, but also in contributing to the
permanence of their families on the land, and providing better living and working conditions
for the entire settlement. The methodological procedures adopted consisted mainly of conducting
interviews and drawing up alternative cartographies. Despite the difficulties related to the
geographical situation and male chauvinism, with socio-spatial strategies such as associativism,
baking, handicrafts, professional training, participation in the Food Acquisition Programme,
the National School Feeding Programme, the National Rural Housing Programme
– and Bolsa Família, these women have affirmed the importance of their work, establishing
less unequal gender relations in rural spaces and building inclusive and resistant spaces.