Mulheres assentadas produzindo movimentos nos espaços da reforma agrária

Abstract

This research analyzes the trajectories of women settled in Mato Grosso do Sul who, together with their social movements, won the right to propose and participate in the Undergraduate Course in Social Sciences at the Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD) during the years 2008 to 2012, offered to people from rural settlements in the State. The research seeks to understand the projects that moved women settlers to participate in a higher education course at a public university, overcoming geographical and social distances that separated them from the university, as well as understanding what this led to their lives. In a universe of 56 students participating in the aforementioned course, coming from different settlements, located in different municipalities and regions of Mato Grosso do Sul, there were 33 women, which represented almost 60% of the total number of students. Among them, 20 were selected for the application of the interviews, observing a field that included all the regions covered by the course, from which they came. It starts from the idea that the students-built autonomy in the struggle for land, a fact that took them to the university in search of expansion in educational training, without, however, leaving the settlements after completing the course, which allows them to continue in the plantations in the settlements. Upon completing the course, they did not abandon the landless identity, they only strengthened it, becoming and/or remaining in the condition of settlers and teachers, in a strategy to build their places, according to their references, which implies in the expansion of the defense of an education in and of the countryside. To achieve this objective, a qualitative approach was used, listening to reports of their trajectories, analyzing documents that deal with the organization of the course, as well as photographs taken by professors during graduation. Analyzes were carried out in light of the bibliographical contextualization regarding the theme of agrarian reform, the action of social movements and rural education, especially the materials published during the course, which contain analyzes of teachers and students, presenting the results of this action. The research results, based on theoretical references and on the reports of the graduates of the course, showed that, through education, there was an increase in the understanding of the structures of society, moving them in the claim and conquest of rights, creating better conditions to remain on earth, always bearing in mind the concern for future generations. This finding is present throughout the process of analyzing their reports, when they detail their trajectories and experiences, in the perceptions, questions, challenges, struggles and achievements, shaped throughout the course of the study. The survey data show the importance of collective struggle, as social movements have taken the lead in collective actions, promoting internal organizations with the formation of production groups, cooperatives, fighting for rights, or for the development of production and marketing. In this collective, the egress women acted, were protagonists of actions, debating dilemmas with a view to changing the daily life of social relations considered conflicting, seeking relationships of respect, dignity and equity.