Sara Rodrigues is a popular educator and social mobilisator working to promote women’s rights and social equality from Recife, Brazil. She is a part of the Rede Nacional de Feministas Antiproibicionistas – Renfa (National Network of Anti-prohibitionist Feminists) and the Coletivo de Mães Feministas Ranúsia Alves – Confra (Ranúsia Alves Collective of Feminist Mothers). The women’s rights defender has been helping the organisation and distribution of food and hygiene kits in the favelas and poor communities around Recife since the start of the pandemic, to counter the effects of marginalisation and state negligence in the area.
On 16 June, she was subjected to a violent arbitrary arrest under fabricated allegations of drug trafficking by the Pernambuco state military police.
Petition for her release.
The challenges and threats faced by human rights defenders in Brazil remain very high, particularly for those working on issues of land, environment, indigenous peoples, LGBTi rights, corruption and impunity.
