WEAVING TOGETHER WOMEN’S NETWORKS IN THE SOLIDARITY ECONOMY: OVERCOMING BARRIERS, BROADENING HORIZONS, AND BUILDING HOPE

Abstract

This experience report aims to present to the academic community practices developed within Solidarity Economy networks, specifically among women in three distinct regions of Brazil who, despite their different contexts, share a common pathway of building mutual support and autonomy in situations of social and personal vulnerability. Through the creation of these networks, the participating women found themselves strengthened and supported by an affective and solidarity-based economic approach. The report emerges from the exchange of experiences among women coordinators working with other women in projects located in Minas Gerais, Pará, and Ceará, all of whom became connected through the EESIGS Specialization Program at UFCA. Their interactions were shaped by bonds of solidarity and support networks, sharing lived experiences symbolically represented by the “pink house,” fabrics, and collectively nurtured dreams. The qualitative methodology, based on multiple case studies and participant observation, revealed convergences among the initiatives, including women’s protagonism, multisectoral networking, and an emancipatory pedagogical dimension. The findings indicate that the Solidarity Economy transcends income generation, functioning as a tool of resistance to capitalism by integrating collective care, critical education, and psychosocial support. Despite challenges such as reliance on donations and institutional fragilities, these experiences offer alternative development models grounded in social justice and human dignity.