What the study found
Brazilian women with university degrees who left paid work did so voluntarily, but their decisions were shaped by structural conditions. The study found two main influences: labor-market conditions and the sexual division of labor.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that questioning choice feminism and the opt-out phenomenon helps broaden understanding of the difficulties Brazilian women face when trying to combine work and family life. The study suggests that leaving work cannot be understood only as a personal choice in the cases described.
What the researchers tested
The researchers used a thematic narrative analysis of the professional trajectories of five Brazilian women with university degrees. They examined interview accounts about why these women left successful careers and opted out of the labor market.
What worked and what didn't
The interviewees did leave the labor market voluntarily, but their accounts showed that the choice was conditioned by excessive working hours, macho work environments, lack of flexible work alternatives, long commutes, lack of parental participation in social reproduction activities, and a desire not to outsource childcare. The abstract also says they did not leave only because they wanted to devote themselves to their children full time, as the opt-out literature often portrays.
What to keep in mind
The study is based on five women, so it is limited to a small, specific group of Brazilian university graduates. The abstract does not describe additional limitations.
Key points
- The study examined the professional trajectories of five Brazilian women with university degrees.
- It found that the women’s voluntary decisions to opt out of paid work were shaped by labor-market conditions and the sexual division of labor.
- Their accounts mentioned excessive working hours, macho work environments, long commutes, and a lack of flexible work options.
- The women also described limited parental participation in care work and a wish not to outsource childcare.
- The authors say the findings broaden understanding of Brazilian women’s difficulties in combining work and family life.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Women’s opt-out decisions were shaped by labor and household structures
- Authors:
- Paula Furtado Hartmann de Queiroz Monteiro, Alane de Oliveira Barbosa, Ana Heloísa da Costa Lemos, Alessandra Sá Mello Costa
- Institutions:
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto Universitário de Pesquisas do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Estudos e Pesquisa em Saúde Coletiva
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-11
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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