Vanessa: Pension reform deepens the decline of women.

Do Red Portal - Senator Vanessa Grazziotin (PCdoB-AM), who is the Women's Attorney in the Senate, highlighted in her article published in the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper this Tuesday (6) how the crisis in the country and the lack of affirmative action policies can further aggravate the "process of social decline of women" in Brazil.

With the title "We want salary, leisure, time and power," the prosecutor highlights that the data presented by the IBGE's 2016 Synthesis of Social Indicators – which analyzes the living conditions of the Brazilian population – points to the deepening "of inequalities between men and women in Brazil."

Vanessa Grazziotin draws attention in the text to "the significant drop, starting in 2015, in the process of inclusion and social mobility that began in 2003".

"It is from this somber perspective that we analyze this process of social decline for women who, along with Black people, will be the most affected group."

"Without dismissing the criticism of the economic policy adopted by the previous government, it is evident that this national scenario reflects the global capitalist crisis that has dragged on for the eighth consecutive year and is known to all," Vanessa points out in her publication.

Things get worse after the coup in Brazil.

"The numbers show that this recession, which already represents elements of depression, has only worsened since the coup. While promoting disproportionate fiscal austerity, which negatively impacts the economy, they adopt measures that favor speculative capital (increased real interest rates and the return of R$ 100 billion by BNDES to the Union)."

Job market

Regarding the figures presented by IBGE, Senator Vanessa Grazziotin highlighted the wage gap and the difference in working hours, including the time men and women spend on domestic work.

"In 2015, women earned, on average, 76% of men's income in conventional jobs and only 68% in management positions, but they worked five hours more. They worked 54,9 hours per week (20 hours in domestic work and 34,9 hours in external work) compared to 50,8 hours for men (10 hours in domestic services and 40,8 hours in external work)."

Homework

"Unpaid domestic chores and caregiving activities have a strong impact on women. The relationship between paid and unpaid activities affects well-being, deteriorates quality of life, and is one of the major factors inhibiting women from having a more active participation in society, such as political activity."

"Gender patterns in Brazilian society, therefore, have remained practically unchanged. We know that time is one of the main loose ends: having time is one of the issues most crucially linked to domination. We want salary, leisure, and time, because we want power."

Extending working hours and equalizing them with men is unacceptable.

"Unfortunately, contrary to the pursuit of gender equality, the pension reform is coming, which will severely impact the rights of workers, especially women. They have already indicated that they want to further extend the working time required for women's retirement compared to men, which is unacceptable, given their longer working hours," criticized Vanessa Grazziotin.

However, the senator believes that the unity and mobilization of women for this just cause can halt the growing gender inequality. "But we, women, will stand, we will resist, we will fight and we will win!", concludes the senator.