OUR WOMENCHANGEMAKERS BRAZIL FELLOWS
ALICE FREITAS
REDE ASTA
1ST. GENERATION
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Rede Asta is a social business created to make consumerism a tool of social and economic inclusion. Working primarily with women-owned enterprises in the lower income segment, Alice Freitas has created Brazil’s first direct sales network to transform Brazilian handmade production into a relevant industry, generating social and economic inclusion.
After benefitting more than 1300 artisans, Asta is launching Entusiasta: a national platform for artisans and seamstresses empowerment, accessible to every artisan in Brazil ofering training and access to the market.
IMPACT: Since 2009, Asta maintains a 40% business growth and has generated $2M in extra income for Brazillian artisans, mainly women.
After benefitting more than 1300 artisans, Asta is launching Entusiasta: a national platform for artisans and seamstresses empowerment, accessible to every artisan in Brazil ofering training and access to the market.
IMPACT: Since 2009, Asta maintains a 40% business growth and has generated $2M in extra income for Brazillian artisans, mainly women.
PANMELA CASTRO
REDE NAMI
2ND. GENERATION
END OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Panmela Castro is one of the top female grafti artists internationally recognized for using grafti as a vehicle for cultural transformation. She is the founder of Rede Nami, a feminist urban arts network challenging patriarchal notions of public space as related to sexism, sexuality, subjectivity, and power relations.
Rede Nami trains and prepares artists and art educators to respond to prejudice and racial, ethnic, class, religious, and sexual orientation discrimination.
IMPACT: Rede Nami has positively impacted thousands of women, men and youth across Brazil through their socially empowering street art interventions.
Rede Nami trains and prepares artists and art educators to respond to prejudice and racial, ethnic, class, religious, and sexual orientation discrimination.
IMPACT: Rede Nami has positively impacted thousands of women, men and youth across Brazil through their socially empowering street art interventions.
BIA KERN
MULHER EM CONSTRUÇÃO (MEC)
2ND. GENERATION
ACCESS TO EMPLOYEMENT AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUPPORT
Bia Kern is the founder of Women in Construction (MEC) which trains low-income women to qualify for work in the civil construction area.
It offers an array of professional training courses combined with psycho-social support, classes on gender parity and development of self-esteem significantly increasing their chances for employment, accelerating their socio-economic advancement and fostering gender empowerment.
IMPACT: MEC has already trained more than 5,200 women. MEC students leave the course with an increase in their income.
It offers an array of professional training courses combined with psycho-social support, classes on gender parity and development of self-esteem significantly increasing their chances for employment, accelerating their socio-economic advancement and fostering gender empowerment.
IMPACT: MEC has already trained more than 5,200 women. MEC students leave the course with an increase in their income.
ANKE RIEDEL
CASA ANGELA
3RD. GENERATION
MATERNAL HEALTH / WELLBEING
Anke Riedel, a physician by training, founded Casa Angela, a centre with humanized birth approach to reduce elective caesarean sections rates, inappropriate use of technology in normal birth, maternal and newborn morbidity/mortality rates and childbearing women’s rights violation in Brazil.
Casa Angela’s innovative model connected with the public health system is exemplary in Brazil and beyond. Casa Angela participates actively in local and regional networks and is launching a project to disseminate the methodology through courses, research and consultancies.
IMPACT: Casa Angela benefits around 3000 women yearly, attracts more than 10,000 attendances and dozens of professionals trained in midwifery, as nurses and doctors.
Casa Angela’s innovative model connected with the public health system is exemplary in Brazil and beyond. Casa Angela participates actively in local and regional networks and is launching a project to disseminate the methodology through courses, research and consultancies.
IMPACT: Casa Angela benefits around 3000 women yearly, attracts more than 10,000 attendances and dozens of professionals trained in midwifery, as nurses and doctors.
LILIAN PRADO
ACREDITAR
3RD. GENERATION
ACCESS TO EMPOWERMENT AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUPPORT.
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP / MICROCREDIT
Lilian oversees Acreditar’s operations in small cities and rural areas of the northeast region of Brazil. Acreditar supports the incubation of businesses, providing financial education, technical advice and productive microcredit to women who set out to create their own businesses.
Acreditar considers it essential to develop a teaching-learning relationship with the entrepreneurs, highlighting fundamental issues of administration, financial education, sustainability and resistance to exclusion mechanisms.
IMPACT: Acreditar has served more than 10,000 entrepreneurs fostering a culture of female entrepreneurship in a socio-economic context that historically tends to stifle creativity, innovation & women’s emancipation in rural areas of Brazil.
Acreditar considers it essential to develop a teaching-learning relationship with the entrepreneurs, highlighting fundamental issues of administration, financial education, sustainability and resistance to exclusion mechanisms.
IMPACT: Acreditar has served more than 10,000 entrepreneurs fostering a culture of female entrepreneurship in a socio-economic context that historically tends to stifle creativity, innovation & women’s emancipation in rural areas of Brazil.
DENISE DORA
THEMIS GÊNERO E JUSTIÇA
4th. GENERATION
ACCESS TO JUSTICE
Denise Dora is a lawyer and human rights activist, who has been working with social movements for more than 25 years. She is the co-founder of Themis – Gender, Justice and Human Rights, a feminist organization committed to giving access to justice and human rights for women. Themis’ goal is to tackle all forms of discrimination and violence against women.
Most recently, Themis has develop two apps to democratize access to justice and protect women that are victims of domestic violence.
IMPACT: Themis participated in the National Consortium for the Violence Against Women Act 2016. In Brazil 55 NGOs were trained by Themis.
Most recently, Themis has develop two apps to democratize access to justice and protect women that are victims of domestic violence.
IMPACT: Themis participated in the National Consortium for the Violence Against Women Act 2016. In Brazil 55 NGOs were trained by Themis.
JULIANA DE FARIA
THINK OLGA / EVA
4TH. GENERATION
GIVING VOICE AND AWARENESS
Juliana de Faria is the creator of the campaigns Chega de Fiu Fiu (Stop Catcalling) and First Harassment, both contributing to changing the approach towards combating sexual harassment in Brazil.
Through the NGO Think Olga and social enterprise Think Eva, Juliana has highlighted women’s rights and raised the level of gender discussion on many platforms including mainstream media, business and individuals.
IMPACT: Think Olga has more than 150,000 followers on Facebook; First Harassment campaign generated 80,000 tweets and resulted in over 11M online searches.
Through the NGO Think Olga and social enterprise Think Eva, Juliana has highlighted women’s rights and raised the level of gender discussion on many platforms including mainstream media, business and individuals.
IMPACT: Think Olga has more than 150,000 followers on Facebook; First Harassment campaign generated 80,000 tweets and resulted in over 11M online searches.
