SOS Corpo Feminist Institute for Democracy: Bringing Activists to the Policymaking Table 

Established in 1981, the SOS Corpo Feminist Institute for Democracy promotes gender equality, human rights and social justice through education, research, and political action.  Located in Brazil’s Northeastern state of Pernambuco, where the HIV rate among women has more than doubled in the past ten years, SOS Corpo works to involve women and girls in shaping effective policies and programs to stem the epidemic. 

With the support of IWHC, SOS Corpo brings together HIV-positive women and women activists from Pernambuco to build their capacity to influence local policy and to develop a political agenda for local, state, and national advocacy. SOS Corpo also collaborates with activists to analyze how the HIV/AIDS epidemic uniquely impacts women as a step towards developing new prevention strategies.

SOS Corpo convenes workshops and seminars for HIV-positive women and activists on topics such as stigma, sexuality, sexual and reproductive rights and health, and the politics of public health. Workshop participants produce a summary bulletin and disseminate the workshop’s findings. SOS Corpo partners with other local, national and international feminist organizations, including 13 women’s groups in and around Recife, Zona da Mata, and in the Backlands of Pernambuco (Sertão).  

Page last updated 5/27/08.