Master thesis : "The health-related challenges Brazilian women employed in the cleaning sector in Brussels face, and their health-seeking strategies"

Abstract

Analyzing domestic workers and cleaners, in particular, offers a rich realm of scientific exploration in the intersection between social sciences and health. Women employed in this sector are vulnerable to extensive working hours, food deprivation, exhaustion, physical and chemical hazards, and deteriorating physical effort. In addition, the private nature of such jobs generates risks concerning social isolation, physical, sexual, and verbal abuse. Despite the existence of a formalization system that grants rights and protection to domestic workers in Belgium, this is only available for people with a regular migration status. As a consequence, undocumented informal workers in the sector are more vulnerable to health disparities and worse living conditions. That does not mean, however, that registered workers are immune to health-related issues, as they still perform low-skilled and poorly remunerated jobs. Adding to the hazardous conditions of this economic sector and its high degree of informality, health-related issues specific to migrant and undocumented populations aggravate this scenario. Considering this context, this master's thesis investigates the health-related challenges Brazilian women employed in the cleaning sector in Brussels face, and their health-seeking strategies. The study has identified health challenges related to their occupation, legal status, socioeconomic situation, the healthcare system organization and dynamics, and language barriers. Concomitantly, the study identifies and describes their main strategies to overcome (some of) the shortcomings they encounter in contacts with the healthcare system and individual challenges regarding health. Their main strategies are the use of private services, transnational practices, searching for Lusophone professionals, activating networks, and requesting government aid.