The “Zero Eviction” Campaign and its Impact on the Lives of Brazilian Women in the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Social Reproduction Theory Analysis

The article analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social reproduction based on the experience of the “Zero Eviction” campaign in Brazil, reflecting on its relevance – in particular on women’s lives – in curbing imminent social setbacks caused by a deepening of the economic crisis that accompanied the public health emergency. Faced with the negligence of the State in regards to the effects of evictions and removals for people in precarious situations during the health emergency, the campaign undertook a national coordination of organizations and social movements in defense of the right to housing and land. The campaign not only succeeded in achieving important institutional measures, but also in halting ongoing legal and administrative actions that threatened to violate these rights. We will argue in this article that the campaign has particular effects on women, primarily responsible for social reproduction in our society. Housing protection is fundamental for enabling day-to-day family support strategies in the context of economic and social precarity.