Squatting in Rio de Janeiro

The Brazilian Constitution provides a remarkable set of social rights, including the right to housing. Despite this fact, struggles for decent living conditions have become key issues in the daily lives of many people in Brazil. Contesting the differentiated access to housing, social movements occupy empty buildings in the cities to challenge historically-rooted and exclusionary urban politics. Exploring the occupants' agency, Bea Wittger draws attention to the important role of female actors within the buildings. Through oral histories of participants of two squats in Rio de Janeiro, the book delivers insight "from below" into perspectives on citizenship and gender.