A EXPLORAÇÃO E DESUMANIZAÇÃO DAS EMPREGADAS DOMÉSTICAS COMO HERANÇA DA ESCRAVIDÃO NO BRASIL

Abstract

This article analyzes the exploitation and dehumanization of domestic workers in Brazil as a legacy of the era of slavery. The objective is to explore the influences of slavery on the current social perception of this category, a study justified by the rising number of cases involving conditions analogous to slavery in the 21st century. The methodology consists of a qualitative literature review of scholarly articles, books, and theoretical texts. The findings indicate that the lack of post-abolition integration allowed the logic of the slave quarters to take refuge within the domestic environment, manifesting in the imposition of multiple roles, the objectification of the female body, and the impunity guaranteed by a selective judicial system. Emblematic cases, such as those of Madalena Gordiano, Sônia Maria, and Mirtes Renata, illustrate the severe psychological effects and the subjection imposed on these workers. It is concluded that combating this reality transcends legislative reforms, requiring a direct confrontation of the slave-holding mentality that naturalizes servitude. The study points to the need for greater punitive rigor toward employers and the implementation of national efforts to combat the stigma of social inferiority inherent to this occupation in Brazil.