Women, Mothers, and Teachers: Rethinking the Feminization of the Teaching Profession

By Marcella Winter

Normalistas (student teachers) from the Escola da Praça, future IE Caetano de Campos, demonstrating manual labor; 1909. (Caetano de Campos Collection; CRE M. Covas)

Have you ever reflected on how the social roles assigned to teachers and mothers intertwine in the history of education?

Since Early Childhood Education—long known as "maternal" (nursery)—the care and education of children have been predominantly carried out by women. In the early years of Elementary School, the figure of the "tia" (auntie) reinforces the idea of continuity between family and school. It is only in the final stages of schooling that the male presence expands, primarily in specific curricular subjects. The presence of men is even more evident in higher education and in high-level educational management positions. This unequal distribution is not neutral: it impacts professional trajectories, pay scales, and social recognition, in addition to influencing perceptions of authority and competence within the school environment and beyond.

The association between teaching and motherhood is not accidental; it is a historical process that consolidated the female presence as the majority in teaching and shaped social expectations regarding women's work in society and, consequently, in schools. This phenomenon, called the "feminization of the teaching profession," became more evident in the 19th century when men began migrating to socially and economically more valued occupations, both within and outside the field of education. From then on, teaching positions—especially in the first years of formal education—began to be filled by white, minimally educated middle-class women. For these women, teaching represented an opportunity for public participation and relative economic autonomy in a context that offered them very little.

This process, observed in Brazil and other parts of the world, was initially sustained by religious and scientific conceptions that linked female identity to motherhood, care, and the moral formation of children. In the context of patriarchal societies, women were assigned the roles of wives and mothers, and teaching came to be understood as an extension of these functions. Thus, the idea was consolidated that teaching, especially for young children, was a "natural" aptitude for women. These stereotypes persist and contribute to a persistent dynamic: teaching is a majority-female profession and, precisely because of this composition, remains subject to processes of symbolic and material devaluation. If care is seen as a vocation, teaching work tends to be perceived as a mission rather than a profession that requires training, proper working conditions, and salary appreciation.

The overlap between motherhood and teaching also manifests in the domestic sphere. Even today, the responsibility for monitoring children's school progress, mediating with the school, and organizing study routines falls largely on mothers. In times of crisis, such as the one experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, this burden became more visible, highlighting persistent inequalities between men and women.

In the month we celebrate women, it is necessary to recognize the historical centrality of their role in education and, simultaneously, to question the structures that naturalize inequality. It is also essential to understand that the feminization of teaching requires an analysis that coordinates gender, social class, and race, since inequalities accumulate and manifest in different ways. The devaluation of female teachers is linked both to the absence of consistent career policies, remuneration, and working conditions, and to the persistence of concepts that associate teaching with a supposed female vocation. Valuing the work of female teachers and recognizing the central role of mothers in their children's schooling are fundamental steps toward building a more equitable education and a society that distributes responsibilities and opportunities more fairly.

Reading recommendations:

Olhar à Veras Podcast (2021). #8: The Feminization of Teaching, with Marcella Winter. https://open.spotify.com/episode/5RUTGimBvEkpfatHhtb0Zh?si=_jpyo4nSTlq5ATT68lNjrg

Kelleher, F. (2011). Women and the teaching profession: Exploring the feminization debate. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000212200.locale=endebate.

Louzano, P., Rocha, V., Moriconi, G. M., Oliveira, R. P.  (2010). Quem quer ser professor? Atratividade, seleção e formação docente no Brasil. Est. Aval. Educ., 21(47), 543-568. http://www.fcc.org.br/pesquisa/publicacoes/eae/arquivos/1608/1608.pdf

Davila, J. (2003). Diploma de brancura: Política social e racial no Brasil, 1917–1945. Editora UNESP.

Almeida, J. S. de. (1998). Mulher e educação: A paixão pelo possível. Editora UNESP.

Freire, P. (1997). Professora, sim, tia não: Cartas a quem ousa ensinar. Olho d’Água.

About the author:

Marcella Winter holds a PhD and an MA in International and Comparative Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She also holds an MA in International Relations (UERJ) and a BA in International Relations (PUC-Rio). Her research emphasizes the formulation and implementation of educational policies in Brazil, with a special interest in the construction of stereotypes regarding public school children and the education of women and girls. She is one of the founders of the Paulo Freire Initiative at Teachers College, Columbia University.