Gênero e meio ambiente na Amazônia roraimense: um olhar sobre o encontro da água com a vida de mulheres do Projeto de Assentamento Equador, Rorainópolis

Abstract

The rural women workers have their routine marked by various cultural, socioeconomic and environmental questions articulated as a network that interferes with the establishment of health status. As a major link in the network, we investigated the influence of the use and management of water for domestic consumption and health of women living in the Settlement Project Equador (Rorainópolis/RR) and the socio-economic, cultural and environmental interacting in the context. Socio-economic data were collected through questionnaires with 35 women between 16 and 79 years living in the localities: Vicinal Trairi, Arara Vermelha / Vila Bragança, Arara Vermelha / BR 174, Vicinal Arara Vermelha, Vila Equador and Vicinal 1. Samples of water consumed by the population were analyzed using the technique of multiple tube fermentation associated with the most probable number (MPN) and the density of heterotrophic bacteria. The results indicate that the PA Equador the epidemiological environment is characterized by a disturbed landscape, endemic infectious diseases such as leishmaniasis, malaria and hepatitis, absence of public services in most locations and a high number of injuries in women in the years 2008 ( 874 women and 355 men, total: 1224) and 2009 (732 women and 263 men, total: 995). DST's and inflammation in the uterus are largely responsible for the high numbers of injuries suffered by women. Men are the most affected in cases of: leishmaniasis and leprosy. The bias appears in patriarchal gender relations, especially the organization of work, where women mostly take responsibility for water supply, performed manually in 60% of households surveyed, domestic work, accumulated productive activities, requiring them time and considerable physical effort. Health problems associated with physical exertion were cited by interviewees (pains in the head and spine). Associated with difficulties of access, quality of drinking water represents a high risk to the population, therefore the analysis of nine water samples investigated were found to be only two suitable for drinkable standard required by Order 518/2004 of the Ministry of Health. It follows as determinants potentially leading to injuries and health risks to women of the area studied: the socio-environmental context, absence of public services, extended working day by the buildup of reproductive work (domestic work) and productive (agriculture, extraction), time and routine physical effort devoted to the activity of water supply, lack of sanitation and quality of water consumed.