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What life in favelas can teach us about the COVID‐19 pandemic and beyond: Lessons from Dona Josefa

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  • Camilla Quental
  • Yuliya Shymko

Abstract

In this article, we adopt a non‐conventional approach to investigate the experiences and existential postures of women who, as residents of Brazilian favelas, find themselves at the frontline of a struggle for survival—and dignity—amid the COVID‐19 pandemic. We reveal this struggle through the voice of Dona Josefa—a 66‐year‐old, former domestic care worker and resident of Ocupação Esperança (Occupation Hope), a feminist favela on the outskirts of São Paulo. We interweave our reflections with those of Dona Josefa, who acts as representative of one of the many disenfranchised communities that are confronting one of the worst crises in recent history, in one of the most inequitable countries in the world. Connecting our discussion with feminist writers and calling attention to a more collective stance in feminism, overall, we offer a shift from knowledge gleaned from institutional and privileged spaces in the Global North to knowledge gained by observing individual struggles in the favelas of the Global South.

Suggested Citation

  • Camilla Quental & Yuliya Shymko, 2021. "What life in favelas can teach us about the COVID‐19 pandemic and beyond: Lessons from Dona Josefa," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 768-782, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:28:y:2021:i:2:p:768-782
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12557
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    Cited by:

    1. Peter Hamilton & Oonagh Harness & Martyn Griffin, 2022. "Life during furlough: Challenges to dignity from a changed employment status," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(6), pages 523-544, November.
    2. Heidi Reed, 2024. "“When money is more valuable than people…”: The pandemic as a call for business to care," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(2), pages 435-455, March.
    3. Heidi Reed, 2023. "“When money is more valuable than people…”: The pandemic as a call for business to care," Post-Print hal-04461114, HAL.

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