An article from the news website G1, part of the Globo group, showcases some essays that achieved the maximum score in the National High School Exam, Enem 2023, and in at least two of them, the book “Pequeno Manual Antirracista” (“Short Anti-racist Guide”) by Djamila Ribeiro is referenced for the theme ‘Challenges for addressing the invisibility of care work performed by women in Brazil’. Seventeen-year-old student Maria Luiza Januzzi from Valença, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, mentions the Brazilian philosopher in the first line of her exam. She writes:

“According to the Brazilian thinker Djamila Ribeiro, the first step to solving an issue is to remove it from invisibility. However, in the current context of Brazil, women face several challenges for their care work to be recognized, generating serious impacts on their lives, such as lack of recognition. In this sense, this problem occurs due to governmental omission and media influence.”

Maria Luiza, who attends a public state school, develops her argument by demanding greater salary appreciation for the profession from the State and pointing out the role of the media “in strengthening a sexist social mentality in the country,” which, according to her, leads to the silencing of the female population through the logic of patriarchy, propagating the “idea that this function (caregiving) is solely their obligation.”

In conclusion, citing Djamila again, Maria Luiza states that removing caregiving women from invisibility is related to the government’s guarantee of “psychological and financial support, through investments and the enforcement of laws, in order to address the socio-economic vulnerability that exists in the daily lives of these groups.” Alongside this, the young woman suggests, “the media needs to combat the logic of inferiority and the sexist conception associated with this work.”

Eighteen-year-old student Arthur Sanches Sales from Belém, Para, also mentions Djamila Ribeiro in his essay “Nota Mil” (Perfect Score). The young man, who also achieved a perfect score, cites the same passage from ‘Pequeno Manual Antirracista’:

“In this regard, the illustrious philosopher Djamila Ribeiro argues that, to act in a situation, one must first remove it from invisibility. However, the national panorama differs from the author’s thinking, since the high index of domestic workers in precarious occupational conditions is not seen by society, so discussions about this issue are not prioritized, making interventions in this problem difficult. Therefore, this obscurity needs to be exposed to raise awareness in society,” wrote Arthur.

He also speaks of the State’s marginalization regarding caregivers, stating that “government conduct needs to be reformulated to ensure the rights of these professionals.”

In his final paragraph, the student suggests that, to bring the problem to light, the federal government should “propagate data and research that reveal the seriousness of the neglect suffered by caregivers, through prominent media platforms, in order to reach the largest possible contingent and raise awareness.” He concludes that it is up to the Public Prosecutor’s Office to “demand effective actions from the Federal Government to protect domestic workers occupationally, with the aim of promoting dignified work for these individuals.”

Check out the essays mentioned in the G1 website article.