LESSONS IN AUTONOMY: THE ROLE OF FORMAL EDUCATION IN WOMEN'S LIBERATION

Abstract

This article aims to understand the relevance of formal education for women's freedom, highlighting the experiences and life stories of the research participants. The methodological approach consisted of qualitative and bibliographic research, as well as semi-structured interviews with twelve women. To this end, we start from the principle that the women analyzed in this study come from different states and different families, and therefore may differ on certain questions regarding education, whether it is truly liberating, and if education sets one free. The research results indicate that feminist movements have contributed to greater equality, freedom, citizenship, and women's participation in society, and that education is a fundamental principle for women's freedom, work, and financial independence. Furthermore, the interviewed women demonstrate that education is not the only path to freedom, although it is a path to the construction of knowledge, which, in turn, leads to freedom.