Less than Half of Black Women with Young Children Are Able to Work, Says IBGE

The historical inequality of the participation of women in the labor market is greater in households with young children up to three years old. Mothers with children in this age group participate less in the labor market, according to the Gender Statistics survey released this Thursday (4) by IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). The level of employment (the percentage of people working in relation to those of working age) of women who identify themselves as black or brown with children up to three years of age was 49.7% in 2019. Among white women, the percentage was 62.6%. According to historian Wania Sant'anna, researcher of ethnic-racial and gender relations, the greater inequality in the participation of women with young children is explained by the low percentage of children in daycare centers. According to the IBGE, the national average is 35.6%. There is a substantial number of women who are not served by the public day care service. This demonstrates the state's helplessness in early childhood and this has a fundamental impact on the future, she says.