Photographer Page

Gabriela Portilho

Henny Freitas gives an interview on local radio. Communication is a key part of Mandato Coletivo Permacultural's mission.

In 2021, when large protests broke out in São Paulo demanding "a vaccine in the arm and food on the plate," members of Bancada Feminista joined in on behalf of their constituents.

Members of Mandato Coletivo Permacultural meet with Luís José Cunha Lima, a former native flower collector and one of the town's oldest residents. They are developing a project to rescue local memory and culture in the city.

Augusto Schneider also belongs to Mandato Coletivo Permacultural, which has opened up a rotating position for interested citizens as the community's needs have changed.

Henny Freitas is the spokesperson for Mandato Coletivo Permacultural. During city council meetings she continuously consults with the other members on WhatsApp to make sure it’s not just her voice being heard.

In Alto Paraíso de Goiás, a small town in central Brazil, members of the Mandato Coletivo Permacultural political collective focus on environmental issues, which includes organizing a weekly planting and cleaning effort.

Silvia Ferraro, a history teacher, is the spokesperson for Bancada Feminista, which means she's the only member officially allowed to speak at city council meetings and cast votes.

While her colleagues in Bancada Feminista have focused on other issues, Paula Nunes, an attorney, has been able to visit Buracanã many times to consult with residents about their needs. “If it were just one person holding this seat, so many people in our community would be left behind,” she says.

Members of the Bancada Feminista political collective, in purple shirts, meet with residents of the impoverished Buracanã settlement. The five women who belong to the collective share a city council seat in São Paulo.

Paula Nunes, speaking to the crowd at a São Paulo protest, belongs to one of the growing number of political collectives in Brazil. Political collectives put one member’s name on the ballot but campaign—and serve their constituents—as a group.