Leadership, Power and Politics: Bruna Benevides

"It is extremely important to see committed women leading the transformation process to build a new way of doing politics and demand a gender just society that enable the voices of all women to be heard. There is power in the diversity of this voices and the commitment between women - cis and trans, of all races, religion and social backgrounds - we represent the struggles faced daily in our society against sexism, transphobia and structural oppression.

Being present at this exhibition is another step forward for opening up and welcoming even more vulnerable groups into an alliance we all have been claiming for to end social, economic, sexual and racial inequalities."

Bruna is a transgender rights activist, and the first transgender women to serve in the military army in Brazil. She is a second-sergeant in the Brazilian Marine Force and has been working in the army for 21 years. After coming out as a transgender women, she fought a long legal battle to guarantee her rights to continuing working in the army, which was granted in 2018, a historical result in the country.

Since 2016 she is director of Antra, the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals in Brazil, and is responsible for preparing national reports denouncing murders and violence against transvestites and transsexuals in the country, advocating for public policies to protect trans people safety and basic rights.