Among affected territories: the lack of recognition of the female work in artisanal fishing in the Rio Doce Basin

Abstract

This article analyses the measures under which reparation policies implemented after the Fundão dam collapse were able to restore income and reactivate the socioeconomic dynamics of women involved in the artisanal fishing chain in the Rio Doce basin. The research adopts a qualitative-quantitative approach, based on documentary analysis, secondary data, and discourse analysis, articulating contributions from regional, feminist and decolonial economics and also agrarian geography. The results show that the interruption of fishing generated a sharp decline in income, increased informality, and significant exclusion of women from reparation programs. It is observed that these instruments operate based on criteria for recognizing work based on formalization and direct productivity, disregarding territorial forms of production and the complexity of women's practices in the fishing chain. It is concluded that the absence of gender-sensitive policies and policies that address the diversity of local economic arrangements perpetuates structural inequalities and limits the economic recovery of affected communities, indicating the need to redefine reparation strategies based on valuing women's work, the care economy, and distributive justice.