Brazil - Brazzil Mag - Brazil Wants Better Qualification for Its 6 Million Domestic Workers

In 2006, Brazil's federal government plans to strengthen affirmative actions in the labor field. According to Brazilian Minister Matilde Ribeiro, one of next year's priorities is the qualification of domestic workers through the Citizen Domestic Labor program.

Ribeiro is the head of the Special Secretariat of Policies for the Promotion of Racial Equality (Seppir). The Citizen Domestic Labor program was launched in November in partnership with Brazil's Ministry of Labor and Employment.

Brazil has 6 million domestic workers. 95% of them are women, and 57% of these women are black, the minister points out.

According to data from the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), only 25% of Brazil's domestic workers are legal (with signed working papers).

"Blacks are the poorest of the poor, they are marginalized from the labor market, and, when they are included, they are the ones who receive the smallest salaries and are the least qualified, due in part to their lack of insertion in the educational system," the Minister emphasizes.

From this perspective, in the Minister's view, it is also essential that Congress approve the bill instituting the quota system in public universities all over the country.

"A favorable report has already been issued by the Education, Culture, and Sports Commission. We are awaiting a vote on this bill, among other reasons, to reinforce the experiments that are already underway," she says.

According to the Minister, 18 public universities have already adopted the quota system. Moreover, 30 thousand students of Afro-Brazilian descent entered private universities in 2005 through the University for All Program (ProUni).

This program provides full and partial scholarships to low-income students to study at private institutions of higher education, which, in return, are exempted from paying certain taxes.

"The demand for affirmative actions to reserve places in public and private universities is an historical one, it is the subject of debate among blacks and Indians, and there have been various experiences throughout the world," the Minister observes.

"In Brazil it is an experiment that provokes controversy, but we are conscious that something must be done, considering that racial inequality and racism are not inventions of enlightened individuals, but, rather, a reality that needs to be overcome in the country."

And this government....
written by Guest, December 27, 2005

....found this need, just before a new election !

It is what they have not done yet that provoke controversy

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Only Black Women? Where are the other part of the poorest of the who are women in particualr from the NoethEst of the County?
written by Ana, February 09, 2007

Do they are invisible?
The issue in Brazil it is no precesily color but class,class is the major issue Brazil. it really annoys me whne I read something about Brazil where women are stratified and classified in group categories. Brazil has the largest domestic working group it doesn't mattertheir ethnic bacground ,what its matter is that these women are part of a monority group and that they need to have a chance to get free higher education. Besieds that the federal governmet must reforce or reforme the domestic work laws . in whcih would protected them from verbal abuse,psychological abuse ,sexual harresment and and all sort of humiliation that you could imagens these women are victim of. I personaly met once a several domestic workers who made this staments. "The law does not protecte us from these abuses and in addition to that there is a saying among us that once you stated usinig the back door you will die in the back door" that means that all domestic worker in Brazil are forced to use the bakc door in their job.There is also other thing that they mentioned they have time to get to work but they do no have time to leve, and then the over time work thye don't get paid for.

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