BODIES ON THE MARGIN: PROSTITUTION AS A STRATEGY OF FEMALE HEADS HOUSEHOLD

INTRODUCTION: Data from IPEA (2015) reveals that although the number of female-headed households has grown significantly in the country, the increase does not represent an optimistic transformation in the social role of women. In a context of social vulnerability, for many female heads of household, prostitution is the only alternative to support themselves, given the barriers to accessing formal work and education. AIMS: In this sense, this research investigates how precarious social conditions shape the subjectivities of female heads of household who resort to prostitution as a survival strategy. The study starts from the understanding that, for many of these women, prostitution does not represent a free choice, but a direct response to social exclusion, patriarchal social structure, family abandonment and the absence of effective public policies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research adopts a qualitative approach, using life history methodology with a dialectical approach, in order to understand how these women narrate their experiences and construct meanings about themselves. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview with a woman who identifies herself as an escort, a single mother and head of the family. Although the research only involved one participant, the depth and richness of her narrative revealed subjective and collective dimensions that cut across the reality of many other women in a similar situation. RESULTS: Among the main findings, it was identified that social stigma is a structuring factor of marginalization, affecting not only how these women are perceived, but also how they perceive themselves. In addition, informal support networks were built, which are generally more welcoming than public institutions, and the presence of a collective memory of abandonment and silencing that spans generations. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: It can thus be established that prostitution in this context operates as a survival strategy in the face of systematic vulnerabilities, and that actively listening to these voices is fundamental to breaking with stigmatizing logics and broadening the debate on rights, social protection and belonging. The research also recommends that further studies be carried out that deepen the analysis of public policies aimed at this group and investigate the non-institutional reception networks that act as a substitute for the state.

KEYWORDS: Prostitution; Female heads of household; Social stigma; Collective memory; Vulnerability.