Leila Diniz Collective: Citizens’ Advocacy and Feminist Studies

With the project supported by the Brazil Fund, the Collective intends to undertake a capacity building action with at least 20 women living with HIV, members of the Positive Citizens Movement and Women’s Forum of Rio Grande do Norte, in order to provide these leaders with the tools for actions for political influence in the public management of the Capital – Natal, the City Legislative and the Judiciary of the State.

The following activities have also been planned: actions for political influence focused on demands for gratuity in public transportation; actions to raise awareness of the Judiciary to the complexity of living with the virus and the impacts arising from the use of antiretroviral medication, especially for afro-descendant women and those from outlying neighborhoods; and, finally, actions to ensure the increase of resources for the implementation of public policies which could provide better living conditions for women living with AIDS.

The organization aims to contribute to the democratization of the State and society through gender equality, with social justice, from a feminist perspective.

The group conducts activities of mobilization and political education of women’s groups on the following topics: community organization and associativism; development and women’s rights; violence; sexual and reproductive rights; and public budget.

In addition, the Collective offers political and technical support to the Women’s Movement by offering help to the deliberations of the Forum of Women of Rio Grande do Norte, and working both in strengthening the movement and in building the citizenship of women from popular groups.

The group also carries out studies, analysis, monitoring and evaluation regarding the problem of violence against women and related public policies. It conducts a systematic monitoring of the public budget and brings to justice exemplary cases of violence against women.