Para além da sala de aula: educadoras e a organização política da AMPEP (1974-1985)

Abstract

This research analyzes the participation of female educators from the Association of Public School Teachers of the State of Paraíba (AMPEP) between 1974 and 1985, seeking to understand their forms of action and leadership in the organization of the teaching movement during the military dictatorship and the democratization process. Grounded in the New Cultural History, based on the contributions of Chartier (1988) and Pesavento (2003), and in Gender Studies, drawing on discussions by Scott (1995), Perrot (2005), and Louro (2014), the study adopts a qualitative approach, combining documentary and bibliographic research, using AMPEP’s Inauguration Books, newspapers, photographs, interviews, and memorial documents as sources. The results demonstrate that, although women constituted the majority of the teaching category and played a fundamental role in mobilizations and the defense of public education, their presence in positions of greater power remained limited by gender relations. The analyzed narratives and documents reveal the leadership of these female educators in the consolidation of AMPEP and in the struggle for professional recognition, teachers' rights, and the democratization of society. It concludes that the history of AMPEP cannot be understood without recognizing the contribution of these women to the strengthening of the Paraíba teaching movement.