Qualification, work, and “gender”: the place of women in the sexual division of labor

Abstract

This article presents a qualitative bibliographic review aimed at critically analyzing the correlation between qualification, work, and social relations of sex, with an emphasis on the role occupied by women within the sexual division of labor in Brazil. The methodology is grounded in critical social theory articulated with social reproduction theory, which best supports the objective of explaining how social determinants structure inequalities within a patriarchal-racist-capitalist society. Furthermore, it examines how the production and reproduction of these inequalities render female labor invisible, imposing an overload on women, particularly through the naturalization of the ‘warrior woman’ archetype. Based on theoretical contributions, the study discusses the precarization of female labor and the limits of professional qualification as a tool for social emancipation, as well as the relevance of public policies for the promotion of equality. It concludes that the implementation of gender equality requires, not only the strengthening of social policies, but also social and cultural transformations leading to the fair recognition and valorization of both the productive and reproductive work performed by women.