A participação e o cuidado como estratégias de fortalecimento psicossocial de mulheres em contexto de rua no Grupo Madalenas

Abstract

The daily lives of women living on the streets are marked by challenges and adversities that engender ways of life guided by the urgency of ensuring survival. This reality exposes them to rights violations and violence that culminate in ethical and political suffering. When considering how to address such situations, we approached the Madalenas Group, where these women meet weekly to discuss and exchange experiences. This led us to reflect on the importance of the Madalenas Group as an action of care and empowerment for the women who participate in this group, giving rise to the following initial question: What is the relationship between women's participation in the Madalenas Group and the processes of care and psychosocial empowerment in the face of the ethical-political suffering experienced in the context of the streets? The general objective of this thesis is to analyze the relationship between women's participation in the Madalenas Group and the processes of care and psychosocial empowerment in the face of the ethical-political suffering experienced in the context of the streets. Specific objectives include describing the ways of life of women in the context of the streets; identifying the processes of ethical-political suffering experienced by the women of the Madalenas group; to recognize the meanings of women's participation in the Madalenas group; to understand the care processes developed by these women in their relationships; to identify the psychosocial strengthening strategies produced by women through their participation in the Madalenas group. The setting was downtown Fortaleza, where Casa da Sopa, the meeting place of the Madalenas group, is located. The participants are women aged 18 and over who are in a street context, i.e., homeless or overcoming homelessness, and who attend the Madalenas group meetings. We conducted qualitative research with a feminist approach, using research facilitation as a strategy, with the monitoring of 33 meetings held during 2024, and narrative interviews with four women who are part of the Madalenas Group. The information was assessed through Narrative Analysis, and we used Atlas TI 25 software to organize the textual material. The results indicate that Abstract women's trajectory toward homelessness is permeated by countless alternatives to avoid it and is linked to a lack of protection and social support. Social inequalities and processes of exclusion materialize in women's bodies, causing ethical and political suffering, representing physical and mental harm. The Madalenas Group is a place for sharing and exchanging experiences, capable of providing social support actions to women in the context of the street. On the streets, women are called upon to care for others and are rarely seen as the target of care, so that social participation, through the Madalenas Group and the care it provides, are factors that contribute to the psychosocial strengthening of women. The conclusions point to the need to address the specific demands of women in national and local policies for the homeless population, expanding spaces and relationships of care.