Da Silva, Benedita (1942–)

Afro-Brazilian politician and poet. Name variations: Bené da Silva. Born Mar 11, 1942, in Praia do Pinto, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 1 of 13 children; m. Newton Aldano da Silva (house painter), 1958 (died 1981); m. Agnaldo Bezerra "Bola" dos Santos (Communist-Christian community leader imprisoned by Brazilian military, died 1988); m. Antonio Luis "Pitanga" Sampaio (Afro-Brazilian actor and secretary of sports for state of Rio de Janeiro); children: (1st m.) 2.

Worked as laborer and domestic servant at young age; earned double degree; taught at community school in shantytown of Chapéu Mangueira, using methods of radical educator Paulo Freire; helped form Women's Association of Chapéu Mangueira, Women's Department of the Federation of Shantytown Associations of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FAFERI), and Center of Shantytown and Periphery Women (CEMUF); joined Workers' Party of Lula da Silva in early 1980s and quickly moved up ranks; elected to several posts as representative of Workers' Party, including town councillor (1982), federal constitutional representative to Bureau of National Constitutional Assembly (1986), member of Chamber of Federal Deputies (1990) and senator to republic (1st Afro-Brazilian woman, 1994); wrote and co-wrote amendments to constitution guaranteeing rights of women, racial minorities, and prisoners, and contributed to Child and Adolescent Code; participated in several investigations into mass sterilization of women, violence against women, and child and adolescent prostitution; fought for family planning, child care, protection of domestic servants and maternity leave; left senatorial post to become vice governor of Rio de Janeiro (1998), then governor (2002), Brazil's 1st black woman governor; wrote numerous books and articles on Brazilian problems, as well as many poems and an autobiography which was made into documentary film.

See also Benedita da Silva, Benedita da Silva: An Afro-Brazilian Woman's Story of Politics and Love (Institute for Food and Development Policy, 1997).