For approximately three years, a political organization has been working to eliminate the barriers that prevent black people from the progressive field from being elected to political positions. The Northeast Feminist Observatory is responsible for the “Enegrecer a Política” project, an initiative aimed at expanding the representation of black men and women in political decision-making spaces.
This observatory, made up of peripheral black women and anti-racist feminists, is dedicated to a wide range of activities, including research, legislative monitoring, political advocacy and articulation.
Check out:
Marília Gomes, co-creator of the Observatory, emphasizes that the objective is to strengthen democracy through the active participation of women, especially black women. “We did thorough work in the legislative assemblies of Bahia, Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte to identify efforts related to women’s rights, with a focus on black women in the Northeast of Brazil. We also seek to produce research and document our struggles, as well as achievements of the women who occupy these decision-making spaces”, he explained.
:: Women in politics: number of members is significant, but does not translate into candidates ::
In addition to ongoing activities, the Observatory began a cycle of debates in September and October as part of the exchange project between northeastern women, with events held in Pernambuco and Bahia. The first debate, which took place recently in Recife, discussed the dynamics of gender and racial political violence faced by black women in the Northeast, as well as strategies to combat them.
According to Marília, these debates seek to deepen the visibility and participation of black people in politics. “With these debates, we not only want to highlight the meaning of violence, but also analyze the dynamics in which it occurs. Gender and racial violence occurs in associations, political environments, collective organizations and social movements, permeating different areas. Therefore, The debate aims to broaden the understanding of what violence is and, mainly, to develop coping strategies”, he emphasized.
:: Participation of black women in politics increases, but violence persists ::
The second debate is scheduled to take place on October 10, at the Museum of Modern Art of Bahia, in Salvador.
The Northeast Feminist Observatory also provides a platform for reporting cases of gender and racial political violence on its social networks. All published complaints are registered with the Ombudsman’s Office of the Federal Public Ministry, the Women’s Ombudsman’s Office of the Superior Electoral Court, the TSE Complaints System and the Ombudsman’s Office of the Public Ministry of the state where the violence occurred.
To find out more about the work carried out by the observatory, visit: @obsfeministanordeste.
Source: BdF Pernambuco
Editing: Helena Dias
