O direito humano à alimentação adequada de mulheres no sistema prisional da Paraíba

Abstract

The right to food is part of the fundamental rights of humanity and refers to a set of necessary and essential conditions for all human beings, in an equal way and without any type of discrimination, exist, develop their activities and participate directly and with dignity in the life in society. A challenging context for the realization of the right to food or the scenario of the Brazilian prison system. In 2016, 42,000 women were deprived of their liberty. In Paraíba, 620 women are found in the state prison system. Overcrowding increases the chance of exposure to precarious conditions and difficulty in accessing quality, effective and equitable food, showing it as a relevant problem in the field of public health. The aim of this study is to analyze the realization of the human right to adequate food for women in the Paraíba prison system. This is a unique case study, with a qualitative approach, developed in the four prisons that receive women in conflict with a law in the state of Paraíba: The Maria Júlia Maranhão Reeducation Center in João Pessoa, a female Penitentiary in Campina Grande, a Patos Women's Penitentiary and Cajazeiras Women's Penitentiary. The research subjects are representatives of the Paraíba Penitentiary Administration Secretariat, general nutritionist general store of the state penitentiary administration (1), prison health coordinator (1), doctor and nurse of the prison health team of the unit with the largest number of women prisoner of liberty in Paraíba (2) director of penitentiaries for women in the state (4), women in prison, in a closed regime for at least one year (12) and as women in prison who develop work activities in the kitchens of penitentiaries studied (8), totaling 28 participants. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews, field diaries and documentary research. For data analysis, the content analysis method was used. The results are presented through the categories: 1 - Female Incarceration Context in Paraíba; 2- Access to adequate food for women in prison in Paraíba; and 3- Perception of women deprived of liberty and respect for the right to adequate food. We observed that the context of incarceration precludes the realization of the right to food with regard to food availability, adequacy, accessibility and stability of supply. In conclusion, evidence that it is not a prison system in Paraíba, as dimensions of the right to food that refer to being free from hunger and the right to adequate food, are not effectively implemented. Food for humans must be understood as a process of transforming nature into healthy and citizens. For this, it is essential that processes that promote the right to food consider the principles that relate to it and, therefore, overcome discriminatory and authoritarian practices.