(C) Global Voices This story was originally published by Global Voices and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Where are the women from peripheral areas in Brazilian politics? [1] ['Agência Mural'] Date: 2024-06-18 Movement for change A former resident of Grajaú, in São Paulo's South Zone, Luana Alves is an educator and health worker. She was elected in the capital of São Paulo with 37,550 votes, bringing objectives and experiences to the job that were already part of her personal life. “I understand that I am part of a historic movement to change the world. Things don't [simply] change from one generation to the next. There are processes that accumulate to break with the system [as it is],” Councillor Alves said. Her entry into politics was motivated by what she experienced at home. Her mother worked as a social worker and her father was imprisoned during the military dictatorship (1964–1985) for being part of the PCB (Brazilian Communist Party) – he was considered a “subversive” by the regime. Both parents worked in grassroots organizations. “Witnessing these struggles educated me positively,” she said. At 19, she joined the PSOL (Socialism and Freedom Party) and the following year became a student at USP (University of São Paulo) where she graduated in psychology and specialized in public health and primary care. During her studies, she got to know several Black and student movement collectives supporting racial quotas for Black, Brown and Indigenous students. Luana sees the legislature as a place that is still ”very macho” and that defends the interests of the ruling class. “I know the limits of this place and that things are not solved only there. The great historic changes have always come with large, mass movements. We have to organize ourselves collectively so that we don't feel alone in the battle,” she noted. Councillor Elaine Mineiro, part of the collective Quilombo Periférico, was also elected in 2020 in São Paulo, with 22,742 votes. An educator and activist with cultural movements in peripheral areas, she explained that her first contact with politics was in the Black movement and with her mother, who was active in the Catholic church in the neighbourhood where she grew up, Tiradentes City, in São Paulo's East Zone. “The church was the first place where I heard about antiracist movements and, in a certain way, it connected with the history of some political parties and groups, such as the Uneafro (Union of Centres of Popular Education for Black People and the Working Class),” she recalled. Speaking about their first term, the councillors highlighted that recognition is a constant struggle and that there are still many barriers and prejudices. One example was the revocation of Councillor Camilo Cristófaro, who was investigated for racist comments in parliament. Overall, the women councillors say they have supported each other, as Black women, to resist and continue the work. They also say that, in order for changes to actually occur, collective and grassroots organization is necessary, just as it was for their ancestors during the era of slavery in Brazil. “Our oldest [predecessors] taught long ago that our comfort zones are among us. Black women need to find tactics for protection and care among themselves,” Mineiro concluded. [END] --- [1] Url: https://globalvoices.org/2024/06/18/where-are-the-women-from-peripheral-areas-in-brazilian-politics/ Published and (C) by Global Voices Content appears here under this condition or license: https://globalvoices.org/about/global-voices-attribution-policy/. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/globalvoices/