The Mães Mobilizadoras were present at the São Paulo State Legislative Assembly (ALESP) in a powerful moment of dialogue, listening, and mutual recognition. The agenda included a meeting with State Representative Ediane Maria, during which the group presented the actions carried out by IBEAC in Parelheiros and engaged in a deep exchange about territories, life paths, and shared struggles.
We are deeply grateful for the warm and generous reception by the representative, who opened not only the doors but also her heart to a necessary and meaningful conversation, marked by respect, identification, and collective construction.
From this meeting emerged an essential reflection: when women from peripheral territories meet institutional representatives who share similar histories, bridges are built. These bridges strengthen the understanding that institutional politics is also a space that belongs to us.
“I felt very comfortable and at home when the representative began to talk about her own story.” — Valéria Almeida
“I saw myself in her story. She speaks like us, gestures like us. I can also be in this space.” — Maria Amorim
Getting to know, occupying, and recognizing ourselves within the spaces of institutional politics is a fundamental part of building participatory citizenship. These experiences amplify voices, strengthen territories, and reaffirm that social transformation begins when we recognize ourselves as protagonists of our own stories.
