Trabalho, Educação e Saúde - TES (Work, Education and Health) is an open access scientific journal, edited by the Joaquim Venâncio Polytechnic School of Health, from Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.
We analyze the provision of care to women experiencing gender-based violence within two Primary Health Care units located in a peripheral area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It focuses on the narratives and practices of “street-level bureaucrats,” agents who operate at the interface between users and the State. The methodological procedures adopted included participant observation of care-related activities and semi-structured interviews with professionals between 2022 and 2023. In their daily work within Primary Health Care, these agents often face challenges such as inadequate infrastructure and lack of integration within the care network, which necessitate discretionary actions in various situations. The actions of these public agents can either facilitate or hinder access to health services, directly influencing the critical pathways in the care provided to women. The analysis considers that the experiences of these operators, along with the complex interactions between institutional and social aspects, are crucial for understanding the field of public policies aimed at addressing gender-based violence and the limitations encountered in their implementation.
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https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5971-441X