VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN:

CONCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES OF SEX WORKERS IN THE LIGHT OF THE MANDALA OF KNOWLEDGE

Abstract

Violence against women comes in different forms and there is no distinction between social classes, the aggressors are mostly spouses or family members, that is, people they live with. However, sex workers are inevitably more exposed to violence, both because of the existing prejudice due to their profession and because of their work activity, in which they are constantly threatened. Therefore, it is necessary to approach the theme through Popular Education in health, as a way of disseminating knowledge and empowering this population. Thus, the present study aims to report the conceptions and practices about violence against female sex workers, in the light of the Mandala dos Saberes. This is an experience report, of an action carried out in May 2022, in a bar located in the center of João Pessoa, Paraíba, with sixteen sex workers. The results showed the impact of violence on the sex worker's life, as well as the importance of broadening the discussion on the subject, in order to make the population aware of the identified problems. Therefore, the study provides subsidies for the elaboration of public policies and actions that support the confrontation of violence. It also enabled the exchange between students and society, contributing to the training of professionals committed to the social, since it brings them closer to reality.