Arquivo e memória

processos trabalhistas de professoras da Paraíba (1989)

Abstract

The History of Education in Brazil is marked by the feminization of teaching, beginning in the mid-19th century. This professional identity brought about changes in the social and cultural context of the educational field. In Brazil, the 1980s were characterized by the processes of redemocratization, which reinforced the rights consolidated by the Federal Constitution. This study aims to analyze the labor lawsuits of female teachers preserved in the Historical Documentation Center (NDH/UEPB), and to reflect on their struggle for labor rights in 1989.  The theoretical-methodological framework draws on authors such as Chartier (2002), Nora (1993), Tardif (2002), and Louro (1986–2018).  The research was, therefore, conducted as a qualitative analysis of three labor lawsuits involving female teachers in primary school employed by the Municipality of Mari, Paraíba, in 1989.  The results point to violations of labor rights, such as salary reductions, non-payment of vacation and the 13th-month pay, as well as dismissal from positions. In response, the teachers resorted to the courts to demand their denied rights and claim professional stability.  This context reveals the precarization of teaching work and offers a critical perspective on the vulnerability and devaluation of women’s labor.