Operárias invisíveis o trabalho feminino na apicultura no Piauí, Brasil

Abstract

The historical invisibility of women's work in rural areas is a product of their sexual division, which associates women's tasks on the property with helping. The aim of this paper is to reflect on the invisibility of women's work in beekeeping, including in studies that attempt to measure the economic value of this activity. A bibliographic review of these studies was conducted, focusing on the state of Piauí. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 beekeepers from two cities, aged between 15 and 55 years, formally affiliated to honey producers' associations. A clear gender divide was observed in the performance of activities, with women dominating in activities related to honey processing, which brings them closer to the domestic sphere and care. Working in the apiary and wearing overalls emerged as gender markers. The questioning of the physical strength to work with the hives and the tolerance of the stings are among the most frequent sexist practices experienced by women. The naturalization of the sexual division of labor is mainly based on the identification of women's work as helping their husbands, partners and fathers, even though women claim to have their own hives and knowledge and practice before the men with whom they work. The conclusion is that women's participation in beekeeping is read in terms of domestic and care, thus hiding the economic contribution of their work. Given the socio-economic impact of this activity in Piauí, more studies are needed to understand the links between work, gender and income in beekeeping.