WOMEN IN SCIENCE, PROFESSIONAL WOMEN AND WOMEN WHO PERFORM CARE WORK: IS OVERLOAD, LOVE OR AN INVISIBLE PROBLEM?

Abstract

Often, we mention workload overload as the result of the accumulation of tasks from one or more professional positions held simultaneously, characterized by excessive demands and deadlines. It is known that this configuration can cause health problems, such as burnout or exhaustion, and may lead to legal disputes among the involved parties. However, there is a nuance of excess workload that is publicly known but lacks effective debate and public policies in Brazil to mitigate the problem: the workload overload of women both inside and outside the home. This occurs due to a cultural and political construct that attributes maternal and domestic/family care as predominantly female responsibilities. These activities have no periods of rest or holidays, foster situations of abuse, and are not adequately defined in legislation, resulting in interruptions in professional careers, salary devaluation, restricted access to positions and competitions, stress, unemployment, lack of financial support, and other consequences. The question then arises: how did these demands develop, what sustains them, how are they currently being maintained, and what are the implications of this?

KEYWORDS: Overload of women; care work; invisibility; political-social projects