Achievements and challenges of feminism in Brazil

The achievements of women in the fight for their rights and space in Brazilian society over the years

Apoio a Revolução Constitucionalista de 1932. (1932-07)Folha de S.Paulo

Directors of the São Paulo women's institution, Liga das Meninas Paulistas. It was set up to raise funds for soldiers from the 1932 Constitutionalist Revolution, a conflict between São Paulo and the Brazilian Army under the command of President Getúlio Vargas.

Minissaia (1969)Folha de S.Paulo

A woman wearing a miniskirt out shopping in a São Paulo store. A symbol of freedom and women's resistance, the miniskirt became fashionable in Brazil in the late 1960s.

Considered daring, the miniskirt was invented when French designer André Courrèges first began shortening hemlines. However, it was the British fashion designer Mary Quant who made the miniskirt a must-have fashion item for young women everywhere, when she launched the look in 1964.

Baiana em Salvador (1997-03-16) by Niels AndreasFolha de S.Paulo

A woman in typical Bahian costume walks along a street in the historic part of Salvador, the state capital of Bahia. Two weeks later, on March 29, the city would celebrate its 450th anniversary.

Grito dos Excluídos (2006-09-07) by Almeida RochaFolha de S.Paulo

Women take part in the 12th annual Grito dos Excluídos e Excluídas (Cry of the Excluded) march. According to the organizers, around 10,000 people attended the march in Cathedral Square (Praça da Sé) in downtown São Paulo.

Established with the support of the Catholic Church in 1994, Cry of the Excluded was set up to bring people together to protest against different forms of exclusion in Brazil.

Hospital das Clínicas (1953-12)Folha de S.Paulo

A nurse talks to a patient in a corridor at the Clinical Hospital of the University of São Paulo Medical School. Located in the Cerqueira César neighborhood in the city of São Paulo, it is currently the largest hospital complex in Latin America.

Ceramista (1998-06-16) by Marcos PeronFolha de S.Paulo

Female sculptor Isabel Mendes da Cunha, 74, poses next to her ceramic works depicting men and women from Santana do Araçuaí, a hamlet in Ponto dos Volantes, in the state of Minas Gerais.

Cachaça em alambique (1952-01)Folha de S.Paulo

Women in São Paulo taste cachaça (a liquor made from sugar-cane), which has been distilled in copper pot stills. While cachaça is often associated more with men, the production and consumption chain for this popular spirit now involves a growing number of women in Brazil.

Mulheres que trabalham em estaleiro (2010-05-21) by Rafael AndradeFolha de S.Paulo

From left to right: paint inspector Lorana Ribeiro dos Santos, engineer Monica Louback, another paint inspector Ingrid Cristina, and welder Taina dos Santos, all employees of the Mauá shipyard in Niterói, in Rio de Janeiro State.

A voz das cantoras transex (2018-09-18) by Adriano VizoniFolha de S.Paulo

From left to right, trans artists Veronica Valenttino, from the band Verónica Decide Morrer, and Raquel and Assussena, from the band As Bahias e a Conzinha Mineira. They are all part of Brazilian music's new generation.

Produção de shitake em Ibiúna, em São Paulo (1999-02-04) by Eduardo KnappFolha de S.Paulo

Environmental scientist Isabel Drigo presents the cultivation of shiitake mushrooms, as part of a project set up by the scientist and agronomist Mauro Issler to carry out research into medicinal plants. The initiative, which also offers ecotourism, is based in the town of Ibiúna in São Paulo State.

Dia da Enfermeira (1966-05-12) by CastroFolha de S.Paulo

A nurse adjusts a medicine dose at a hospital in São Paulo. There were an estimated 8,000 nurses with university degrees in Brazil at the time, and a series of events were planned for Nursing Week.

Indigenous woman from the Guajás ethnicity breastfeeds a bush pig cub (1992-11) by Pisco Del GaisoFolha de S.Paulo

An Indigenous woman from the Guajás tribe suckles a piglet, a common practice among women in this tribe from Maranhão State. After a hunt, the women take the orphaned piglets and raise them as if they were their children.

Curso de datilografia (1952-03)Folha de S.Paulo

Girls take part in a typing class at the São Paulo da Cruz School run by Passionist nuns in the city of São Paulo. During the 1990s, typewriters were gradually replaced by computers.

Mulher boia-fria (2005-09-15) by Joel SilvaFolha de S.Paulo

A female laborer sharpens a machete in readiness for her work on a sugar plantation in the inland city of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo State. As technology advanced, the cane cutters had to work even harder to increase their output in an attempt to keep their jobs.

Marcha das Mulheres (2014-03-08) by Apu GomesFolha de S.Paulo

Demonstrators gather on Paulista Avenue in São Paulo for the Women's March, an event organized by São Paulo's City Hall (Prefeitura) to mark International Women's Day on March 8.

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