How to be a woman in Brazil by Alana Lial

By Artur Vieira*

What began as a form of activism for women’s rights on social media took on proportions that Alana Lial, a 46-year-old lesbian woman from Pernambuco, could not have imagined when she created Instagram: “Being a woman in Brazil”.

The actress, writer and journalist grew up surrounded by strong women who inspired her, such as her mother: a woman from the Northeast who was a single mother and her great source of influence and strength.

As she became more adult, she began to notice this influence in her life and – when putting together the theatrical show “Eugenia”, which tells the story of one of the pioneers of feminism in Brazil, Eugênia Álvaro Moreyra, and understanding more deeply about the social movement’s fight for civil rights (including LGBT+) – she decided that it was the right time to bring the debate and awareness of how neglected these rights are to social media.

“The creation of this Instagram in 2020 was a cry for women who needed to be heard.”

Many Layers of the Brazilian Woman
Since its creation, the profile has been a large network of female experiences and exchanges with 200 thousand page views per month, bringing to light issues such as combating physical and psychological violence. For the founder, structural machismo is complex and has been rooted for years and can only be resolved with gender education both in schools and in the family environment.

Due to her notoriety, Alana sees herself as a link that unites women in this extensive support and information network in which she has worked for the past 4 years. And this August, Lesbian Visibility Month, could not be any different: in addition to raising important issues such as Lesbophobia, she also announces the launch of her newest project: a biweekly podcast that will be recorded at the stylish thrift store “Acervo 1402”, located in downtown São Paulo, and will feature interviews with women who have experiences and experiences linked to feminist and queer themes.

“The month of August is essential for us lesbians. It is super important to have a month of visibility and voice.”

Anyone who follows this work can perceive a subtlety and a lot of coherence in the feminist activism that it promotes. Not at all aggressive, but very accurate in alerting and denouncing those who refuse equal rights and duties between genders.

Information about these rights and how to claim them is the main focus of this woman who teaches others about positioning and the principles of integrity and dignity of the human being.

To learn more about Alana Lial’s work: @sermulhernobrasil

*Artur Vieira is a Christian, gay and journalist who has worked with the LGBT+ public since 2013 on the internet with the profile @devoltaaoreino.