Lideranças comunitárias, trabalho, autonomia e empoderamento

This work aims to analyze the process of building autonomy among community leaders and reflect on how they articulate alternatives and possibilities for developing productive work, which translates into autonomy and positions that demarcate attitudes of empowerment. 14 women workers from the COOPVILA Cooperative, which manufactures recyclable wooden furniture, who work in the community of Vila Maranhão, São Luís/MA, participated in the research. Regarding the methodology, the instruments used were the field diary (DC), sociodemographic inventory (ISD) and semi-structured interviews (ESE). The final results showed interaction between women through collaborative and autonomous work, in addition to facing prejudices and forms of prohibition that hindered the development of work.