Gender, health, and digital transformation: women's leadership in popular health practices within Brazil's Landless Workers' Movement

• In Event: Fostering Peace Education, Countering Militaristic Education, and and Empowering Communities in Diverse National Contexts

Proposal

This study investigates the intersection of gender, health, and education within the Brazilian Landless Workers' Movement (MST), centering on the role of women in shaping and leading popular health practices in the Vale do Rio Doce region of Minas Gerais. By critically engaging with how women are employing traditional health methodologies while navigating digital transformations, the research contributes to the broader discourse on rural health and gender empowerment within socio-political movements. It highlights the inherent tension between technological adoption and the preservation of participatory, community-based methods, which are foundational to the MST’s broader struggles for land, autonomy, and social justice.

The MST, a critical force in Brazil’s agrarian reform efforts since the 1980s, has consistently prioritized grassroots approaches such as participatory rural diagnostics, emphasizing the need for health practices to be integrated with political and social struggles. Women within the movement have long played a crucial role in health-related activities, using these spaces not only to promote well-being but also to assert their agency and leadership. This study argues that health practices within the MST represent an important site of female emancipation, as women take on leadership roles that challenge traditional gender dynamics and place them at the forefront of both health and educational initiatives within their communities. The research focuses on the Vale do Rio Doce, a region historically marked by agrarian conflicts and violence against marginalized rural populations. Here, MST women have developed a rich tradition of popular health practices rooted in local knowledge, such as the use of medicinal plants and preventive care strategies. These practices, deeply entwined with the MST's ethos of collective struggle and participatory governance, have served as a foundation for addressing the health needs of the community in ways that resist the hegemony of state healthcare systems, which often fail to meet the needs of rural populations. As digital technologies have begun to permeate even the most remote rural areas, MST women have started to integrate online platforms and digital mapping tools into their health and education practices. This represents a significant shift from the traditional, face-to-face workshops that have long been a cornerstone of popular health education within the movement. These innovations have the potential to expand the reach of MST health initiatives, allowing women to share knowledge across vast geographic areas and overcome the logistical challenges posed by rural isolation. However, the study highlights that this digital transition is fraught with challenges, particularly for women who lack access to reliable internet or digital devices. This creates a risk of deepening inequalities, both within the movement and between rural and urban areas, as the so-called "digital divide" threatens to exclude some women from fully participating in these new health initiatives.

The research builds on qualitative data gathered through participant observation and oral histories of MST women, collected during fieldwork between 2021 and 2023. These methodologies align with the MST’s own emphasis on participatory research, ensuring that the voices and experiences of women in the movement are central to the study. Interviews with women in settlements such as Oziel Alves Pereira and Ulisses de Oliveira revealed the ways in which digital tools are being adopted to supplement, rather than replace, traditional health practices. For example, women use digital platforms to facilitate workshops on medicinal plants, share preventive care strategies, and coordinate health campaigns across multiple settlements. However, the study also uncovers significant ambivalence toward the use of digital tools. Many women expressed concerns that the hierarchical structure of digital platforms could undermine the horizontal, participatory methods that are central to the MST’s approach. For instance, while digital tools allow for greater dissemination of knowledge, they often come with standardized formats that may limit the flexibility and adaptability that are key to popular education within the MST. Additionally, there is a fear that digital health initiatives could become commodified, reducing popular health practices to a set of market-driven services rather than a grassroots, community-led endeavor. This ambivalence is particularly evident in discussions around digital mapping tools, which have been adopted to track health needs and resources within MST settlements. While these tools offer new ways to visualize and manage health data, there is a concern that they may introduce a level of bureaucratic oversight that conflicts with the MST’s principles of self-determination and autonomy. The study argues that for digital technologies to be successfully integrated into MST health practices, they must be adapted to the movement's participatory and emancipatory framework, rather than imposing top-down, technocratic solutions. Moreover, the research emphasizes the gendered dimensions of this digital transition. Women in the MST have historically been the primary caregivers and health practitioners in their communities, and the digitalization of health practices poses both opportunities and challenges for their leadership. On one hand, digital tools can help women to expand their influence and share their expertise with a wider audience. On the other hand, the study reveals that the digital divide disproportionately affects women, particularly those in more remote or impoverished areas, who may not have access to the necessary infrastructure to fully engage with these technologies. This raises important questions about how digital health initiatives can be designed in ways that promote equity and inclusivity, rather than exacerbating existing inequalities.

In addition to health practices, the study examines the broader role of MST women in education. Through their involvement in health workshops and other community-based educational activities, women in the MST are actively challenging traditional gender roles and asserting their place as leaders within the movement. The research highlights how health education serves as a form of political education, where women not only learn about healthcare practices but also engage in broader discussions about social justice, land rights, and gender equality. In this way, health education becomes a powerful tool for female emancipation, enabling women to claim leadership roles in both their communities and the broader struggle for land and autonomy.

Authors

• CIBELE LIMA DOS SANTOS

• Alexandre da Trindade e Oliveira, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge