BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS / Šturma, Mozetic (eds)

11 Business and the Building of Women’s Labour Market in Brazil Through Affirmative Action Measures 1

Narciso Leandro Xavier Baez 2 Thaís Janaina Wenczenovicz 3

1. Introduction This study aims to discuss the aspects regarding the affirmative action measures to protect women’s labour market in Brazil. It intends to analyse the Brazilian public policies developed so far and how effectively they have regarded full gender equality. The study starts analysing the theoretical and controversial aspects of the affirmative action measures’ concept. Furthermore, it shows how Brazilian constitutions have treated the affirmative action measures, the country’s legal order evolution and its importance to Brazilian constitutional theory. Afterwards, there is a review of the Brazilian women historical affirmation concerning isonomy, considering the cultural difficulties in appraising female gender in Brazil. Besides, there is an inquiry into the main public policies aimed at gender equality and their current context. 1 This chapter results from an international research project named: “The existence and efficacy of affirmative action measures in the UK, South Africa, China, India, Latin America, and Brazil”, developed by “Grupo de Pesquisa em Rede Internacional Teorias da Justiça no Âmbito da Efetivação dos Direitos Fundamentais” (Research group on International Network, Theories of Justice to Achieve Fundamental Rights), a group focused on international research at the Graduate Education Program in Law offered by “Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina”, in partnership with “Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul”, Middlesex University (United Kingdom), “Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua” (Mexico), and “Universidad de Talca” (Chile). 2 Chief Academic Officer at the “Excellence Centre in Law” and the LL.M Degree in Law at “Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina”. Holds a Ph.D. in Fundamental Rights’ Effectiveness Mechanisms from “Universidade Federal de Santa Catatina”. Holds a doctorate degree in Fundamental Rights and Contemporary Rights with a foreign trainee scholarship (PDEE Capes) at the Centre for Civil and Human Rights at Notre Dame University (Indiana, USA, from February 2011 to July 2011). Holds a LL.M degree in Public Law (UNESA), a graduation degree in Civil Procedure and has been working as a Federal Judge (4 th Region) since 1996. 3 Docente adjunta/pesquisador sênior da Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul/UERGS. Professora Titular no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação/UERGS. Professora Colaboradora no Programa de Pós-graduação Stricto Sensu em Educação da Universidade Estadual do Paraná- UNIOESTE. Professora colaboradora no Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Direitos Fundamentais/UNOESC. Avaliadora do INEP - BNI ENADE/MEC. Membro do Comitê Internacional Global Alliance on Media and Gender (GAMAG) - UNESCO. Líder do Grupo de Pesquisa CNPq/UERGS Direitos Humanos e Justiça: perspectivas decoloniais.

138