Cunhã – Feminist Collective

Strengthening the social and political organization of the Household Workers Union of João Pessoa (PB), bolstering the promotion of the rights of the sector and the elimination of workforce exploitation.

– Workshops on rights and social security of household workers, to bolster leadership on issues related to the area;

– Household Workers Day mobilizations for International Women’s Day.

– Representation in Brasília (DF) on advocacy in defense of rights related to the issue.

– Public events and/or meetings with political actors of interest to domestic labor for dialog on the rights of women workers and strengthening of the union: Labor and Employment Ministry, Social Security, Women’s Policy Secretaries, the Public Prosecutor, women’s movement, social organizations.

– Promotion of the campaign to guarantee household workers’ rights to inform and raise awareness in the population of João Pessoa.

– Creation of communications materials, such as banners, folders, cards, t-shirts, along with press releases and production of a video with household workers union leaders on the importance of unionization and the rights of the workers in this area.

– Institutional strengthening of the union – with infrastructural changes, including the headquarters, equipment and office materials, to facilitate assistance of domestic workers who visit the union. Cunhã will also contribute to planning union activities, aiding in its constitution.

In Brazil, domestic labor goes back to the colonial slavocratic period. For almost four centuries it was carried out by black women who were obliged to perform household services submissively, serving men and white women, with their rights and dignity doubly exploited by racial and gender oppression.  Since then, the exercise of this work, whether remunerated or not, is done by women, as IBGE data shows (PNAD/2006): 92% of working women undertake household work at home. On average, they use 25 hours per week doing this, while men use only ten. Adding together the two shifts, women work many more hours than men. In Brazil, data from the National Domestic Workers Federation shows that the permanence of black women in this occupation, a product of Brazil’s slave heritage, is eight million persons involved in domestic work, with 93.2% women and, of those, 61.8% black (FENETRAD, 2011).

In Paraíba, there are nearly 117,000 people working domestic jobs, of which more than 90% are women. In the 1980s and 90s, household workers in João Pessoa began to organize, however it wasn’t until 2009 that they founded the Domestic Workers Union in the city of João Pessoa. Since then, they have organized politically, networking within the sector nationally and campaigning for the rights of workers in the city, with membership now reaching 220 workers. The union has given household workers in greater João Pessoa access to information about their rights, speaking out against disrespect for workers’ rights, human rights violations – racism, harassment and violence against female domestic workers. However, there is still little recognition in society of household work as dignified labor that should be properly respected and remunerated.

The Cunhã Feminist Collective looks to promote gender equality, with human rights, feminism, social justice and democracy as its references, through workshops, seminars, social mobilizations and political action, to contribute to strengthening women’s social and political organization to confront all forms of rights violations.

Cunhã is a part of the Brazilian Womens Network (AMB), Feminist Health Network, Abong (national); within the state, it is part of the Paríaba Organized Women’s Network and Paraíba Women’s Violence Risk Watch.

Workshops on the rights and social security of the household workers were among the activities arranged by the organization. Others were political meetings focused on domestic work. In addition to this, the project achieved its objective to bring about social mobilizations. One was the commemoration of the International Women’s Day (March 8). Another was the commemoration of the Domestic Workers’ Day (April 27). A campaign to guarantee the rights of domestic workers was also organized. The creation of a press office and communication materials were among the publicity actions carried out, which included the use of social media. A result that deserves to be highlighted is the institutional strengthening of the unions.