Autonomia feminina: a experiência de piquiá de baixo diante dos impactos socioambientais pela cadeia da mineração

Abstract

The 1960s marked the beginning of a period of significant economic, social, and environmental changes in the Amazon region. In the southern part of the state of Maranhão, large enterprises began appropriating vast areas of land for the exploitation of natural resources, deforestation for cattle ranching, and the installation of steel plants. Açailândia, one of the municipalities crossed by the Carajás Railway, was directly affected by these developments — especially the neighborhood of Piquiá de Baixo, one of the most impacted areas in Maranhão by the mining chain — where major steel companies were established. While wealth increased for the business owners, the residents of Piquiá de Baixo were left to confront the consequences: environmental damage and a range of health problems, particularly respiratory issues, as well as a noticeable decrease in fish populations and agricultural productivity. The situation of socio-environmental vulnerability and health risks caused by the heavy pollution from the steel plants, operating since the late 1980s, drove residents — starting in 2005 — to organize and demand the defense of their rights. Numerous protests, mobilizations, and complaints were carried out, and two decades later, these efforts culminated in the relocation of families to a new neighborhood. Women played a central role in this process. It is through the resilience of the women of Piquiá de Baixo — particularly the Grupo de Mulheres Artesãs engaged in freehand embroidery — that this study aims to recover the memory of the community’s struggle, in dialogue with scholars working on urbanization, territory, large enterprises, socio-environmental impacts, and popular education.