Fapespa delivers the Amazon Woman Seal, promoting female leadership
Initiative recognizes the importance of women entrepreneurs in the Amazon. Certification took place at the booth of the Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy of Pará, in the Green Zone.
At the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30) in Belém, the "Amazon Woman Seal" gained new momentum with the delivery of 15 more certifications to female enterprises that stand out in the Amazonian bioeconomy chain. The certification ceremony took place this Thursday (13) in the Green Zone, at the booth of the Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy of Pará (Crea-PA), and was attended by representatives of the Government of Pará, researchers, entrepreneurs, and members of partner institutions.
Created to value and give visibility to women entrepreneurs in the Amazon, the Seal recognizes initiatives that develop products from regional biodiversity, strengthening female leadership in the green economy. The Amazon Foundation for Support of Studies and Research (Fapespa) is one of the institutions that support the project, as it is focused on innovation and sustainable development.
“I just received the ‘Amazon Woman Seal’, and I consider it very important for us, women of the Amazon, especially at this moment of COP, a moment when the world is looking at the Amazon. We are receiving this certificate which, for me, is a very important recognition of our culture, our ancient art, which is ceramics, the Marajoara ceramics from Paracuri,” declared Rosilene Trindade, one of the certified.
Initially launched during the 7th State Conference on Policies for Women, the Amazon Woman Seal certified ten entrepreneurs in its first edition. With the deliveries at COP30, the number of women recognized by the initiative rises to 25, representing different regions of Pará and working in productive chains such as bio-jewels, natural cosmetics, vegetable oils, food, and sustainable handicrafts.
Commitment - At the delivery ceremony, the president of Fapespa, Marcel Botelho, emphasized that strengthening the initiative reinforces the State's commitment to gender equity and the encouragement of innovation. “Today is an extremely special moment here at COP30, as we had the satisfaction of the Amazon Woman Seal, a project supported by the State Government, via Fapespa. There were 15 women certified, whose businesses were recognized with the quality seal. This shows that science, technology, and innovation are everywhere, and it is essential for the bioeconomy, an extremely relevant moment for COP30, and developing the bioeconomy in our State,” he stressed.
Participating in the delivery of the certifications were President Marcel Botelho; the State Secretary for Women, Paula Gomes; the interim rector of the Federal Rural University of the Amazon (Ufra), Janae Gonçalves; the project's creator, Ufra professor Thaís Braga, an Environmental and Renewable Energy Engineer, and other researchers, entrepreneurs, and partner institutions.
Bioeconomy - The initiative is aligned with the State Bioeconomy Plan (PlanBio) and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), prioritizing innovation, competitiveness, and environmental preservation. The project also has an official website that gathers information about the certified entrepreneurs and their products, increasing the visibility and reach of brands led by women in the Amazon.
With the support of Fapespa and other partner institutions, the Amazon Woman Seal consolidates itself as a public policy aimed at the economic autonomy of Amazonian women, while strengthening the bioeconomy as a strategic vector for sustainable development in Pará and the entire region.
During the certification, the project's creator, Professor Thaís Braga, spoke about the proposal. "Today, we certified 15 women with the Amazon Woman Seal, and we continue throughout Pará, recognizing the women entrepreneurs of the Amazon. Today, we completed the second phase of the project, which aims to certify women entrepreneurs from the Amazon who work with bioeconomy, sustainability, and the environment,” she explained.
Women in Science - The Seal is part of the Public Call “Strengthening Research Groups Led by Women in Pará: An Advance in Gender Equity in Science.” The call, held in March 2024, was directed at female researchers leading research groups, registered with the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and linked to Science, Technology, and Innovation Institutions (ICTs) based in the State.
The project is the result of Public Call No. 003/2024, developed in coordination with the State Secretary for Women (Semu), which contemplated ten research projects, each with a budget of R$ 600 thousand, totaling R$ 6 million in investments.
With this initiative, Fapespa seeks to contribute to reducing gender inequalities in science and technology; strengthening women's research capacity, stimulating women's participation in strategic areas for the development of Pará, among other objectives. The available financial resources serve the 12 Integration Regions of Pará.
List of women certified with the Seal:
1- Edivania Maria dos Santos - ARTE AMAZONIDA
2- Maria das Dores Nascimento França - LICIAS ARTESANATOS
3- Katia Lorena Farias Pereira Melo - TERRARTE
4- Lídia Cristina Soares Pires de Assis - CRISTINA ASSIS CROCHÊ
5- Maria do Socorro Oliveira Castro - BIO ARTS
6- Maria Fernanda da Silva Costa - DICOREMFLOR
7- Lucilene Lima dos Santos - ATELIÊ DA LU
8- Fabianne Silva Fonseca - Buiuçu
9- Carolina do Socorro Ferreira Magalhães - Ideassu e Reciclassu
10- Elivane Dos Santos Rabelo - Fibras da Amazônia
11- Maria Rosilene Pereira Trindade - Cerâmica Articoaraci
12- Bernadete Pantoja de Almeida - Artbeka Acessórios em Cerâmica
13- Rayssa Monique Carvalho Moura - Ama
14- Evangelina Farias Pereira Bruneta - V Carpintaria Criativa
15- Michelle Cristina Monteiro de Quadros - Gea - Gestalt Eco Art
