Brazil

Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco was on her way home Wednesday evening when she and her driver were shot and killed on the road.

The 38-year-old left-leaning politician was an outspoken critic of police brutality, according to The Guardian. That evening, she had participated in a discussion about black women changing the status quo.

UN Women launched www.cidade5050.org.br where candidates will be able to make public commitments to gender equality.

After being harshly criticized for the complete absence of women in his government, Brazil’s Acting President, Michel Temer, have decided to put Maria Silvia Bastos Marques in charge of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES).

Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff will soon submit nominations for senior positions to the Congress for approval. Positions up for nomination include directors at the Brazilian Central Bank (BCB) and a judge on the Brazilian Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal – STF). But Rousseff, one of the world’s most powerful women, seems scarcely inclined to address the very poor gender balance in her government.

New article published in The Atlantic explores the reasons behind Michel Temer’s decision to establish a white men only government in Brazil. The fact that the new government of Brazil is only made up by white men caused many commentators to question its legitimacy, particularly due to Brazil’s exceptional diversity.