Vila Operária, Duque de Caxias : a mulher como sujeito político na produção do espaço favelado

Abstract

The research entitled "Vila Operária, Duque de Caxias: women as political subjects in the production of favela spaces" aims to explore the narrative of the Vila Operária favela, located in Duque de Caxias - RJ, from a female perspective, with the intention of recovering the daily oral history passed down over time among women in a way that problematizes the silencing of these plots by society. Women have been and continue to be agents of transformation in the social and political struggles that have molded favelas over time. By telling their stories from this perspective, we gain a richer and more intersectional understanding of the historical events that shaped urban spaces, particularly peripheral spaces. The fundamental role of black women in the construction of favelas stands out, due their active participation in daily urban life and the contribution to the configuration of favela spaces. Recognizing and strengthening the role of these women is essential to approach the history of favelas from a nonhegemonic, elitist and patriarchal perspective. The performance of women in the production of urban favela space is presented in this work as a collective cultural heritage for the locality, fulfilling a crucial role in the formation of identity and the dynamics of appropriation of these localities over time. The methodology aims to describe and analyze the historical-cultural process of consolidation of the Vila Operária favela, reviewing bibliographies on the region and on the themes of gender, race and class linked to urban planning, using documentary references from the City Hall of Duque de Caxias, during the period from 1950 to 1960. The research also seeks to understand the social practices that shaped the local urbanization, through open qualitative interviews with residents and an insurgent mapping focusing on the collective female experience.