In Brazil, 11 million women raise their children single-handedly

BRASILIA. KAZINFORM A 2022 study by the Getúlio Vargas Foundation’s Brazilian Institute of Economics reveals that 11 million women in Brazil raise their children alone. Failing to give children the affection they need to build bonds and not fostering their proper psychological development is known as emotional neglect.

Salad maker Simone Mendes Silva has never known what it is like to be supported by a fatherly figure, Agencia Brasil reports.

«My mother always raised us by herself because my father was always traveling. So she was always struggling. There are four of us,» she recalled.

The story repeated itself in the lives of her six children. Silva was the one who provided for and raised them all—on her own.

«My ex-husband, my children’s father, has no part in the children’s lives. He’s never had,» she recounted.

Abandonment

An official survey shows that over 164 thousand children were abandoned still in the womb by their fathers in 2022. By July 2023, this figure stood at 106 thousand.

The absence of a father figure during a child’s development can have a significant impact on their physical and mental health. In many situations, the damage may last for a lifetime.

Psychologist Flávia Lacerda says that the absence of a father can have consequences in future relationships as it leads to insecure attachment.

«Insecure attachment means that the person may have a greater tendency to struggle with anxiety and have a hard time getting involved and becoming vulnerable in loving relationships. They may also behave more aggressively,» she remarked.

In this connection, Lacerda underscored that care goes beyond paying financial costs. «Material support does not mean you are taking care of the child, because we believe that caring takes different forms and should come even in conflict. Love must be nourished day after day.»