In nearly three years of work and continuous investment, we have managed to build the largest, and better funded, Municipal Women's Secretariat in Brazil, with over 450,000 women tended for and directly impacted. The main objective is to transform Rio de Janeiro into a city known for gender equity, provided through public policies that ensure equitable access to opportunities, dignity, safety, and that empower more than 3.6 million women.
The task is challenging, but with data, budget, study, and the collaboration of the public and private sectors, we have, undoubtedly, been able to improve the lives of women in Rio. It must be emphasized that when we transform the life of a single woman, we transform many generations to come. Thus, the goal is clear: to place the agenda of gender equity as an economic and social strategy.
Since 2021, we have worked tirelessly to expand and enhance our impact. The Women's Secretariat facilities have multiplied, going from the mere sum of 4 facilities to a new, fully functional, total of 21, a solid response to social and territorial demands. Among these, the creation of NEAP Chiquinha Gonzaga, the first Specialized Psychotherapeutic Service for women that have been victimized in any way deserves to be highlighted. Additionally, we inaugurated another Specialized Women's Assistance Center, the CEAM Tia Gaúcha, in Santa Cruz. Also worth mentioning was the creation of the Elza Soares ‘Casa da Mulher Carioca’, in Padre Miguel. Each facility was strategically designed based on the index of violence against women and empirical data gathered by our own data center, paired with independent research from multiple outlets – which was consolidated and can be found as the ‘Mapa da Mulher Carioca’, a data compilation assembled by the Women's Secretariat.
As a Public Manager, I recognize that access to professional qualification and equal opportunities on the job market are two crucial elements for the economic and social improvement of the quality of life for the women of Rio de Janeiro. Our approach to reducing gender inequality involves providing access to education and information. A key initiative in this regard is the ‘Women of Rio Program’ (Mulheres do Rio), offering training and professionalization courses to any and all women that seek our program. We have already qualified more than 120,000 women through this initiative.
Despite significant progress, we still face alarming statistics on violence against women and femicide. Therefore, it is essential to continue investing in public policies aimed at restoring and amplifying the dignity of our women. As the Secretary of Women, I take pride in having conceptualized a policy that has become national reference in confronting violence against women – the ‘Carioca Woman Card’ (Cartão Mulher Carioca), a subsidy program for victimized women that face social and economic vulnerability, sanctioned under Law n. 7,754 in January 2023.
Rio de Janeiro is the city that single-handedly invests the most in women in Brazil, boasting the largest Women’s Secretariat in the country. We have already impacted over 447,000 women over the past two years and eleven months. However, there is still a challenging path ahead in order to achieve gender equality in our city. I remain committed to constructing a dignified future for all Cariocas. With public policy, data, territorial engagement, and active listening, we will continue to transform lives and safeguard women. Ultimately, building public policies for women means engineering a better present and future for all individuals in society – a transformation that spans throughout generations.
Joyce Trindade, Secretary of Women's Policies and Promotion
