During Women’s History Month we here at the Office of Sustainability want to celebrate the women from around the world fighting to save the world. This installment celebrates the decades of work and ongoing fight of Brazilian activist and politician Marina Silva.
Silva was born to a large family of rubber workers in rural Brazil. Because of the need to provide for her family she did not attend school until she was 16. Even then, she worked as a domestic worker to support her academic aspirations.
After earning a degree in History, she met the famous Brazilian environmentalist Chico Mendes and participated in “draw” protests where she joined rubber workers in forming a human chain to prevent deforestation.
Silva began her political career in the ’90’s running on protecting environmental resources and promoting sustainable development in the Amazon. Her hardwork was noticed, Silva won the Goldman Environmental Prize for South & Central America and she was appointed Brazil’s Environmental Minister.
As the highest ranking public servant for sustainability, Silva fought fiercely with the large agribusinesses. She delayed permits for projects that would be detrimental to the environment and ferociously combatted deforestation.
Eventually, she was forced out of her position because of her strong environmentalist actions and beliefs. After Silva’s resignation the director of public policy for Greenpeace Brazil said “It’s time to start praying for the rainforest.”
Since then, Silva has run for president on a platform focused on sustainable development raising her causes’ public profile. After a series of corruption scandals that plagued the government, Silva is looking for another chance to run now speaking out against corruption especially links to oil companies.
It certainly would be interesting to see a staunch environmentalist be responsible for a major country’s policies. And it would be especially uplifting to see a women of color ascend to such positions of power.
Read our past Women’s (Green) History Month Spotlights here!