Condições de trabalho de mulheres motociclistas por aplicativo: uma autoetnografia em Natal/RN

Abstract

This work aims to critically reflect on the working conditions of female motorcycle couriers on digital platforms, based on an autoethnographic narrative grounded in my personal experience as an app-based worker in the city of Natal (RN), Brazil. My entry into delivery work was improvised, marked by bureaucratic barriers, insecurity, and a serious accident that interrupted my activities and impacted my physical and emotional health. Through the account of my lived experiences, this undergraduate thesis addresses issues such as platformization, labor precarization, gender inequality, and the invisibilization of women workers. Anchored in a critical perspective, the study draws primarily from Marxist and feminist theories to examine the contradictions of the so-called “entrepreneurship” discourse promoted by platforms. It reveals the reality behind the promise of autonomy, marked instead by overwork, insecurity, and institutional neglect. By giving voice to personal experience, this work contributes to the collective struggle for recognition, rights, and dignity for app-based workers, particularly women.