Challenges and inequalities in food care within home environments: Experiences of black women

Abstract

This study investigated the experiences of black women in home food environments, identifying challenges to adequate healthy eating and their connections with caregiving responsibilities. Online focus groups were conducted with eight black women from different regions of Brazil, aged between 20 and 65 years. Thematic analysis identified seven main challenges: high levels of responsibility, motherhood, overload, time poverty, limited access to food, low income and high food costs. Food care is historically delegated to women, particularly black women and low-income workers, reflecting the sexual and racial division of domestic labor in Brazil. This responsibility entails constant strategies and commitment to family well-being, generating overload and a lack of time. Economic barriers and limited access to healthy foods increase the risk of food insecurity and reveal structural inequalities that affect the health and quality of life of these women and their families. The findings indicate that ensuring adequate food requires intersectoral, antiracist and antisexist public policies that help redistribute care work and expand access to public services, thereby promoting better living conditions for black women.