Brazilian Women of Colour Using Community Activism for Education

• In Event: Women in Leadership Across the Continents: Equitable Education Systems for All

Abstract

Objectives/Purposes. This study highlights Afro-Brazilian women and other women of colour in leadership. During the past decade, gender is becoming part of the language of leadership as a factor affecting activism and feminism for education (Lovell, 2000). This investigation provides a nuanced understanding of women’s leadership paths, particularly within the field of community leadership (Needleman, 2011). Since Black and other minority ethnic groups of women are ‘theoretically erased’ in Brazil (Crenshaw, 1991), this paper offers insight into the intersection of gender, race, and class, as well as their influence on women’s leadership practices (Caldwell, 2007). The aim was to invite voice of women leaders who are making a difference in their organisations and local communities.

Perspectives/Theoretical Framework. Gender, race, and class intersect to play a pivotal part in the leadership practices of Black and minority ethnic women in educational leadership (Fuller, 2013; Howard‐Hamilton, 2003; Peters-Hawkins et al., 2018). Activism and resistance are framed through the lens of intersectionality theory, which examines oppression through multiple constructs such as race/ethnicity, gender, class, and ability that are all interrelated (Showunmi, 2020).

Methods and Modes of Inquiry. I begin with an examination of the shared experiences of Black women and the complexities they face in their local communities in both suburban and urban contexts. I follow this with a discussion of research visits and the views expressed by those involved. Within this context I provide a detailed account of a workshop conducted in Brazil on women in leadership.

Data Sources. Data sources included direct work with, conversations with, artifacts from our work, and observations of local women community leaders’ experiences while attending a leadership training in country. While there are several data sets to this study, this paper features my workshop with twenty-five women community leaders at a center supporting victims of domestic violence. During the workshop, topics centered on these questions: What goes on in your community? Who are the community leaders? What is their role in relation to the community? In what ways are you also leaders?

Results and Discussion. Recurring themes I will address include a commitment among women to teaching for gender equality and economic sustainability through active means of engaging with their communities. There are two, key aspects to the findings: First, reflectivity led to restructuring my initially-Western approach to discussing the issues. Rather than grounding and unpacking the notion of leadership through the lens of that community, I began with a far-more removed approach, but the work evolved into rich and nuanced profiles. Second, the women had never viewed themselves as leaders, but through this work, their viewpoint shifted. Community-based feminism is best approached through the personal experiences of women leaders.

Significance. This study contributes to our understanding of decolonizing approaches to community feminism and activism by working from the local rather than theoretical level of Western conceptions of leadership. Working from the community level provides culturally relevant data for the women to use when considering their needs as leaders and for scholars to apply in providing support for community feminist development.

Author

• Victoria Showunmi, UCL Institute of Education