Adoce Silêncio: o dilema da expansão de um negócio liderado por uma mulher com deficiência

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationship between female entrepreneurship, inclusion, disability, and the use of digital technologies through the case of Ana Paula, a mute woman who uses the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) and found in home-based entrepreneurship an alternative source of income and financial autonomy. As the owner of the artisanal confectionery business “Adoce Silêncio” (“Sweet Silence”), Ana Paula uses digital platforms to promote her products and serve her customers, partially overcoming barriers related to verbal communication. However, in addition to managing her business, she is also fully responsible for caring for her mother, who requires constant assistance, accumulating domestic, family, and professional responsibilities. The study aims to analyze how digital entrepreneurship influences income generation, productive inclusion, and work overload among women entrepreneurs in situations of social and family vulnerability. The research is characterized as a descriptive, exploratory, and decision-oriented teaching case, developed from secondary data and grounded in authors who discuss female entrepreneurship, social capital, the sexual division of labor, digital technologies, and the inclusion of people with disabilities. The results show that digital tools expand opportunities for employment and economic autonomy, but also intensify the physical and emotional burden resulting from the double workday and caregiving responsibilities. The case contributes to a better understanding of the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs with disabilities and highlights the importance of policies aimed at inclusion, accessibility, and support for female entrepreneurship.