BETWEEN SOLIDARITY BONDS AND PLURAL ECONOMIC PRACTICES: EXPRESSIONS OF THE SOCIOPRODUCTIVE INCLUSION OF WOMEN IN THE MULHERES MIL PROGRAM
Socioproductive Inclusion, Plural Economy, Programa Mulheres Mil, Organic Horticulture.
This dissertation investigates how women in situations of social vulnerability, graduates of the Organic Horticulture Course of the Programa Nacional Mulheres Mil (PNMM – National Women’s Thousand Program), develop plural economic practices and bonds of solidarity within their rural communities in the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The research adopts a qualitative approach based on Karl Polanyi’s concept of the substantive economy, valuing non-monetary and social economic practices such as reciprocity and domesticity. The methodology includes document analysis of the program and field research through focus groups and narrative interviews conducted with ten women from the quilombola community of Capoeiras. The analysis seeks to understand the transformations promoted by the program in productive practices, domestic care, and the strengthening of autonomy and community networks. The expected results highlight the enhancement of women’s autonomy, the adoption of sustainable agroecological practices, the social recognition of domestic work, and the expansion of participation in community spaces. This research contributes to broadening the critical understanding of public policies for socioproductive inclusion, emphasizing the importance of recognizing plural economic forms to promote social justice and gender equity.