In Belém, State Conference strengthens and expands the construction of public policies for women
The program, which continues until Friday (29), has the theme 'More Democracy, More Equality, and More Achievements for All'
About 500 women from various regions of Pará participated in the first day of the program of the 7th State Conference on Policies for Women, promoted by the Government of Pará, through the State Secretariat for Women (Semu), in partnership with the State Council for Women's Rights (CEDM), at the auditorium of Hotel Princesa Louçã, in Belém, this Thursday (28). Among the main objectives of the event is the debate on equality, diversity, and strengthening of public policies.
Head of Semu, Paula Gomes emphasized that the construction of this space for listening, dialogue, and social participation is historic in Pará. “There will be two days of discussion aimed at strengthening democracy, ensuring equality of rights and opportunities for our women. For this, the construction of public policies needs to be based on the needs that the women themselves express, and this is yet another moment with that purpose, of popular participation. A step that can transform lives and create a different future for women in our State,” assured the secretary.
The State Conference, which continues until Friday (29), has the theme “More Democracy, More Equality, and More Achievements for All.” The event is the result of a preparatory process that included 43 municipal stages and the participation of about 7,000 women.
Commitment - The Minister for Women, Márcia Lopes, gave a keynote speech at the opening of the Conference. “I am moved to see this auditorium full. The diversity of representation shows the State's commitment to all women. We fight together against any type of violence and machismo, in addition to the struggle for women to increasingly be protagonists of their own story,” she emphasized.
Representative of the Movement for Inclusion in Marajó, Elizete Nunes came from the municipality of Breves to participate in the event. “As a woman with a disability, living in an archipelago, I come to bring our difficulties to the discussion, especially due to the peculiarities of Pará, where many people only have rivers to move around. Having a space like this Conference is essential because when we provide the opportunity to speak, we also provide the opportunity to build solutions for our pains,” stressed Elizete.
Value of listening - Municipal councilor of Marabá, in southeastern Pará, Gilmara Neves highlighted popular participation in the construction of public policies aimed at women. “There is no democracy without the participation of women, just as we cannot talk about equality in a state of 144 municipalities if we do not go through all of them. And the previous stages of the State Conference made all this possible. By listening to women, we can understand what type of policy they need in each situation. The realization of this event is yet another achievement for all of us,” she assured.
During the afternoon, the regulations of the 7th State Conference on Policies for Women were read and approved in plenary. Subsequently, participants were directed to the rooms where the working groups met.
Axes - Five groups were organized based on the axes of the 5th National Conference: Municipal Policy for Women; National System of Policies for Women; Thematic Public Policies; Care Society; Climate Justice and Equity of Women's Rights.
One of the participants, Alaine Souza, 39 years old, social worker and educator in Garrafão do Norte, a municipality in northeastern Pará, integrated Axis 1 – Municipal Policy for Women - and highlighted the importance of the municipality being contemplated with proposals that strengthen public policies.
“We are here discussing and proposing issues on behalf of all women from various regions to achieve good results. I hope new proposals emerge so that the municipality can develop more and more. I also come in search of knowledge and experience. We suffer prejudice and violence from men, and this is definitely a point that needs to be discussed,” stated Alaine.
On Friday (29), the program will be dedicated to the electoral process. In the morning, the entities candidates for the composition of the State Council for Women's Rights will be presented, followed by voting. In plenary, the proposals built in the working groups will also be discussed.
In the afternoon, the results of the elections of the entities will be announced and voting will be held to choose Pará's representatives at the 5th National Conference on Policies for Women.
Text: Giovanna Abreu (Secom) and Nathalia Motta (Ascom/Fundação ParáPaz)
