We first met visionary local leaders in Brazil last year during Rise Up’s Leadership & Advocacy Accelerator in São Paulo. Many of these leaders came back together last month for continued learning and skill-building during a two-day convening. This refresher workshop provides an important space for leaders to deepen their connections, share experiences, and exchange ideas in pursuit of strengthening gender equity.

We caught up with Rise Up Leader Patrícia Ramos Silva dos Santos at the recent Brazil convening to learn more about the gender equity advocacy project she is working on with funding and support from Rise Up.

Patrícia, along with the local organization Centro Tereza de Benguela, is supporting women facing domestic violence in her community by seeking special protections for these women, granting them priority in employment opportunities. She shared the following about her Rise Up experience and her advocacy goals:

“The first thing the [Rise Up] training gave me was a clear understanding of the root cause of the domestic violence issue in the community I serve. This led to the proposal of a bill in São Paulo State to ensure job opportunities for women experiencing domestic violence, aiming to provide financial independence and reintegration into the workforce. The next step was to ensure that my chosen decision-maker, State Representative Marina Helou, was fully committed and politically engaged in the process. Rise Up was instrumental in helping me set goals and develop strategies to more assertively achieve my objective. We will be rallying support from our local communities, civil society organizations, social movements, and others who align with our cause to promote knowledge, engagement, and awareness of public participation. The bill will be filed in March 2024, and I’m eagerly anticipating the next steps.”