CARING AND FIGHTING: THE POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF DOMESTIC WORKERS OF CAMPINA GRANDE
Association; Care; Domestic worker; Paid domestic work; Union.
Often overlooked and undervalued, paid domestic work, mostly carried out by Black women in Brazil, is fundamental to the maintenance of social and economic life. Despite the historically precarious conditions to which they are subjected, paid domestic workers resist collectively. Through associations and unions, they organize political strategies, confront multiple forms of oppression, and demand recognition and the enforcement of their rights. This research aims to understand the operations of the Association of Domestic Workers of Campina Grande, in Paraíba, and to analyze how participation in this prominent organization, affiliated with the National Federation of Domestic Workers, affects the lives of the women who sustain its activities. A qualitative approach was adopted, with fieldwork based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews conducted with members of the association and their local allies. The results show that the association plays a strategic role in the political struggle for rights and recognition of domestic workers in Brazil, serving as a space for resistance and the development of critical consciousness, historically connected to the national movement. Despite its importance, the association faces challenges that limit its capacity for action and weaken its continuity, such as the lack of financial and human resources due to the workloads imposed on these women, who divide their time between activism and both paid and unpaid domestic labor. Therefore, the association asserts itself as a political space of support, education, and mobilization, where workers not only share experiences but also transform their living conditions through collective action.