Teachers say that the theme of the Enem essay on the invisibility of care work carried out by women is ‘relevant’ and ‘pertinent’ | Enem 2023

The essay is part of the first day of the exam, held this Sunday (5) with the language and human sciences tests. Next Sunday (12), it will be mathematics and natural sciences.

The Enem writing test requires the production of a dissertation, in which the candidate needs to defend a point of view.

The student needs to look for the relationship between causes and consequences, mainly because the topic talks about challenges. It is necessary to think, then, about the causes that lead to the invisibility of this work.

— Daniella Toffoli, languages ​​coordinator of the Anglo Course

The Anglo teacher also comments that:

• “the woman who takes care of children and parents is not valued”;
• “overload with work outside and at home, in general, is not recognized by society”;
• “double shifts and social demands are naturalized, that is, they are seen as normal”.

For Danieli Ferreira, professor of Writing at the Course and Colégio Oficina do Estudante, this is a topic “extremely interesting and relevant given that women in Brazil sometimes face double or triple working hours – working outside and at home, to be able to support their family”.

In addition to everyday issues and household chores, she considers that women are often left to care for the elderly and sick in the family, in addition to being responsible for their own children.

“This is an extremely relevant topic that will touch the pain of many women, spread across Brazil, and who, really, do not have this work recognized,” he says.

According to Tanay Gonçalves, Writing teacher at Plataforma Professor Ferretto, “the theme of the essay brings a thematic axis that is the face of Enem, with a social nature”.

“The candidate needs to think about the core of the topic, which is this invisibility related to care work, and think that the challenges need to be questioned”, he explains.

The director of Teaching and Educational Innovations at SAS Educação, Ademar Celedônio, highlights that domestic and care work, traditionally performed by women, not accounted for in the formal economy and that this is reflected in:

• women’s economic participation and
• gender inequality in the country.

This challenge involves overcoming cultural barriers, promoting effective public policies, implementing measures that value these essential activities. Especially in the Brazilian context, it is important to understand how this invisibility affects women’s economic participation and perpetuates gender inequality.

— Ademar Celedônio, director of Teaching and Educational Innovations at SAS Educação

Another point raised by the professors is the fact that the invisibility of this type of work carried out by women is a historical issue.

It is good to remember that, as our culture and history have always placed women in this position as a housewife, this social behavior of not valuing what they do is also historic, since, if their place is there, and they were born to play this role of being a housewife and taking care of the children, there is no reason to value it.

— Denise Leal, Enem writing coordinator at Fibonacci Sistema de Ensino

The analysis of Poliedro’s general editorial coordinator, Gabrielle Cavalin, also follows the same line: “it is an extremely current issue, which is not a current problem, so it is very important”.

For Maria Aparecida Custódio, professor at the Objective Writing Laboratory, “the theme must have provided the candidate with recognition for the important and essential work of women.”

“The theme followed what we expected in relation to working on a social problem in Brazil that involves a priority group that tends to be forgotten. In this sense, it is a subject of great relevance precisely to give visibility to this group”, says Isabela Canella, professor of Writing at the SEB Lafaiete School.

For Thiago Braga, writing professor at Colégio e Sistema pH, this topic is sensitive in our society.

“This is a topic that is not expected, an extremely sensitive and invisible issue and, therefore, is not expected. Hence the importance of a discussion like this for young people from all over Brazil. The students certainly have arguments and repertoires to deal with the issue, because the role of women in the thematic axes of the newsroom is discussed a lot”, he states.