Brazil study shows women shoulder disproportionate financial burden

The study “Elas Pagam a Conta”, produced by Lab Think Olga and Think Eva, reveals that Brazilian women are the primary financiers of household wealth despite facing systemic financial exclusion. Historically, women were barred from learning mathematics, needed a husband’s permission to work, and only gained access to credit cards in 1974. The legacy of these restrictions persists today.

Women perform 76 % of unpaid domestic and care work, carry the “invisible Pix” of routine expenses, and pay higher prices for many goods – the so‑called pink tax. They earn on average 21 % less than men, and labor‑market participation is 95 % for men aged 25‑54 versus only 52 % for women. Motherhood further reduces women’s attachment to the labour market, as highlighted by the Atlas of Motherhood Penalty. As Senator Marquês de Maricá remarked in the 19th century, “Sou também da opinião que se devem reduzir os estudos das meninas a ler, escrever, contar e gramática portuguesa…”.