Identity, Gender And Work: Experiences Of Syrian Women Refugees In Brazil

Abstract

The dissertation chapter aims to understand the experiences of Syrian women in Brazil based on three axes: identity, gender, and labor market insertion. Using qualitative methodology and the Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) of Fernando Lefèvre and Ana Maria Lefèvre, with an ethnographic approach, which, according to American anthropologist and professor Lila Abu-Lughod, in her book “Writing Women's Worlds: Bedouin Stories” (2020, p. 13-47), requires, above all, a break with the generalizations characteristic of classical ethnographies. That is, “describing the other” implies avoiding simplistic attributions to the groups studied, recognizing the complexity and internal diversity in their narratives. Thus, the study highlights the difficulties faced by these women, especially with regard to balancing family care, the need to generate income, as well as challenges in recognizing their labor rights and diplomas. The analysis highlights the double displacement—geographical and subjective—experienced by refugees, contributing to a process of identity reconstruction marked by intergenerational experiences, as they transition between traditional roles and new forms of leadership, in many cases becoming heads of households. In this context, identity, as a cultural construct, is formed in a non-linear manner and is deeply related to social interactions and symbolic consumption present in culture. Thus, by giving visibility to the silenced voices of women in refugee situations, the article contributes to the debate on reception policies, social inclusion, and gender equality.