Reconhecimento jurídico do trabalho de doméstico: economia do cuidado sob a ótica interseccional

Abstract

The present research aims to analyze the work performed at the domestic, private, and therefore "invisible" level, questioning the limits of family solidarity in the face of social gender roles, with a view to reflecting on the vital cost of performing tasks considered mere obligations that generally fall on women. It also examines the possible reasons why this dynamic operates in such a way, drawing on Marxist Social Reproduction Theory to question the value of care work, with particular emphasis on domestic work as conceptualized by Federici (2019). Through the lens of intersectionality, the study seeks to shed light on the current normative scenario surrounding the issue, based on the premise that domestic work generates value, is precarious, and lacks proper legal and socioeconomic recognition. The goal is to outline potential approaches to addressing the matter. The central questions guiding this study are: Does care work have any value? If it has value, how can this work be valued? Or, if it doesn’t have value, how can it be recognized? Does Brazilian law protect this type of work? A interdisciplinary literature review of the writings of Federici (2019) and Arruzza (2019) will be conducted to analyze and conceptualize care work, and to identify legal mechanisms and public policies that are suitable to guarantee social security rights and the valuation of care work, with a special focus on domestic work. This study aims to contribute to the debate on the urgent need for proper legal protection of care work, promoting greater social justice and equality among the various social classes, races, and genders involved in this essential activity for collective wellbeing.