As “Donas” da feira: vivências de boieiras do Ver-o-Peso em Belém/PA

Abstract

This master's dissertation aims to know the experiences of women food workers – these are women who work in the food sector and are predominantly poor and black - at the Ver-o-Peso fair in Belém, Pará, in the face of the critical event of Covid-19 and the mega-event of COP 30, which was held in the capital in November 2025. Interviews were conducted with twelve women food workers at the Ver-o-Peso fair: one from the fruit and juice sector, one from the food sector on the Castilhos França promenade and ten female vendors (boieiras), who are the subject of the study. Of these, five of whom own stalls and five are stall employees, during the period from 2022 to 2024. Specifically, we seek to show that the pandemic triggered the interruption of activities and the closure of the venue, also impacting the government's actions through public health and employment policies, especially during the pandemic peak. The adoption of survival strategies was of paramount importance for these women workers, who are responsible for their families and their workplaces. Such strategies as working in secret and delivering meals via delivery services and/or apps generated a sense of estrangement from the digital world. Despite aid provided by municipal, state and federal governments, they were unable to provide the family income earned through constant and precarious work at the fair. With the news that the city had been chosen to host COP 30, the city of Belém underwent a series of preparatory measures, including urban interventions and reforms, particularly in the central region, where Ver-o-Peso is located. This consequently led to the relocation of several sectors and vendors to a temporary space called “Provisional Fair”, including the women food workers sector, causing conflicts and problems related to new location, temperature, work patterns and social interactions. Despite this, the women food workers aspire to a better future for the fair after the Climate Summit, which brought the city international attention, but also a better future for themselves, such as acquiring their own stalls working in the locations, owning their homes, resting and having more time with their families. This socio-anthropological study contributes to research on commerce and popular fairs, addressing gender issues and other intersectionalities that guide the lives of female vendedors at Ver-o-Peso. The methodological approach adopted was qualitative analysis inspired by ethnography perspective, using a semi-structured interview guide, in collaboration with Ver-o-Peso women vendors and their associations, regulatory and organizational bodies and other sources, such as official government data, news media and research institutes.