The Rural Workers' Union in Campos dos Goytacazes and Gender Relations in the Sugar Economy, 1938–64

Although Campos dos Goytacazes (state of Rio de Janeiro) was the largest producer of sugar in Brazil until the 1960s, Brazilian historiography devoted little space to the study of the city's sugar economy in the 20th century. Even less space was reserved for cane workers, be it their way of life, their experiences of sociability, movements demanding rights or form of organization. And just like the economic aspects of the sugar sector, the initiatives of these workers were equally striking, especially the actions in the union field with the organization of strikes and collective processes in the courts. In this work, I try to explore how the rural workers' union in Campos approached the issue of gender relations in the daily work of the farm, in the relations with the owners and in the union life itself.