Living Portrait of Courage: Panmela Castro

As a young woman living in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, Panmela Castro was drawn to graffiti and its power to convey a message. She became immersed in the city’s dynamic art scene and established her reputation as graffiti artist Anarkia.

Panmela used her work to raise awareness about women’s rights and draw attention to the pervasiveness of gender-based violence. In 2006, through a network of female graffiti artists, Panmela began to raise awareness about the Maria da Penha Law on Domestic Violence against Women in the favelas of Rio, where access to information is limited. She used art to teach women about their rights and form a collective consciousness about women’s worth.

Panmela now sees her mission as transforming the role of women in society. In 2010, Panmela was honored with a Vital Voices Global Leadership Award. Soon afterwards, she formed Rede Nami, a network of female urban artists that address gender inequality through public art, graffiti and workshops. Panmela has participated in various Vital Voices programs, including a fellowship in the Hilton Global Freedom Exchange, a fellowship in the VVLead Fellowship Program, participating as a mentee in the Global Ambassadors Program, in addition to serving as a mentor in the ANNpower Vital Voices Leadership Forum.

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