Do quarto de despejo para a casa-grande: a condição das trabalhadoras domésticas durante a pandemia do Covid-19 no Brasil

Abstract

Female domestic workers are a worker’s category in situations of social unprotection that predominate in statistics of poverty, unemployment and violence. Given this setting, this study aimed to discuss the vulnerability situation of Brazilian domestic workers in the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a documentary research with a qualitative approach. Research’s corpus is composed of 936/2020 Provisional measure, Complementary Law 150/2015 and Law No. 14. 020/2020 that regulated labor activities in the aforesaid period. The theoretical-methodological approach was based on Content Analysis, as theoretical support, and on Critical Discourse Analysis, for an explanatory criticism. The results indicated that Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities. This increase can be considered crucial for these workers to occupy the most fragile position in the pandemic. It is understood that, in addition to gender and social class markers, race is a decisive marker in terms of female domestic workers' vulnerability in the pandemic context. This aspect can be considered a legacy of enslavement of African peoples and exploitation of America native peoples.