Grassroots Female Leadership Initiative:

Womens Equality and Zika in Brazil

Ryan Heslin
Skylar LeBlanc
Jamie Bartucca
Catherine Leeson

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract
Argument
Overview of the Zika virus & Sustainable Development Goals
Women in Leadership Roles
Education
Sexual Health
Financial Resources
Conclusion

ABSTRACT
In this white paper, the GEAC (Gender Equality Action Committee) proposes a
grassroots initiative centered around electing female political leadership from different sectors of

Brazil to fight the Zika virus. The GEAC is a team of interdisciplinary university students,
selected by the Bangladeshi NGO Building Resources Across Communities (BRAC), to aid
them in the process of researching possible solutions to addressing the virus. The Gender
Equality Action Committee was chosen by BRAC due to the interdisciplinary background of its
members. This is because, as this paper demonstrates, the Zika virus is inherently a
multidisciplinary issue.
At a global level, this paper was written to address the Sustainable Development Goals
of Gender Equality and Good Health & Well-Being. At a high level, this paper highlights the
efficacy of female leadership when combating Zika, and shows that having female politicians
from the above sectors can successfully address contemporary elements therein that are
propagating the spread of Zika. At the detailed level, the paper focuses on the importance of
women having access to high quality and comprehensive education, sexual and reproductive
health care, and economic resources and support services. This white paper will show in
conclusion that these aforementioned elements are deeply tied to the Zika virus, and that Zika
can effectively be fought with the election of of female political leaders and the promotion of
gender equality in Brazilian society.
ARGUMENT
Overview of the Zika virus & why it matters for the UN SDGs of Gender Equality and Good
Health
The Zika virus is a tropical disease that spreads primarily through mosquitoes and
causes fever, joint pain, fatigue, and other varied symptoms. If a pregnant woman is infected
with the disease, it can cause birth defects such as microcephaly in her baby. While not lethal,
the virus is untreatable and arguably has a much greater impact on women than men, since the
most damaging symptoms of infection revolve around pregnancy.
Many contemporary elements in Brazil, tied to established gender inequality, help
propagate this virus. For instance in rural Brazil, women have limited educational and financial
resources due to systematic repression by their husbands (Waltz). Without these resources,
women are unable to take countermeasures against the Zika virus such as learning about
physical symptoms or purchasing bednets. By empowering women educationally, financially,
and medically, the Zika virus can be fought where it really matters. In order to bring about this
empowerment, women from those above sectors must be elected as leaders, and this
leadership must be done through a grassroots initiative.

Women in political leadership roles: why it would be effective and where they should come from
A grassroots initiative that places women in leadership roles will be effective in Brazil for
two main reasons. First off, female political activism reflects their reality. In a socio-political
study, Professor Jaira J. Harrington concludes that: Black Brazilian womens political
activism...are motivated by their life experiences at the intersections of class inequality, racial
democracy, and machismo... (Harrington, 282). This study shows that Brazilian women, as
political leaders, would incorporate the daily realities of their community into their policymaking.
Second, a study focused partially around Brazilian trade unions found that women in power get
results: Where women are politicised, active and collectively in positions of power, they can be
effective and can influence collective bargaining agendas and outcomes (Ledwith &
Munakamwe, 422).
There are three aforementioned main areas in Brazil that the candidates should come
from: the educational, healthcare, and economic sectors. Below, each different sector will be
discussed, key issues will be highlighted, and the importance of gender equality in the battle
against the Zika virus will be emphasized.
Inexpensive, high quality, and comprehensive educational sector
With the rise of this virus and the resulting birth defects, it is more important than ever for
women to be educated and provided necessary economic and health care resources. Basic
literacy will help women communicate with others about the effects of this virus and precautions
that they can take. Women are quite restricted in what kind of education they can receive,
especially in rural areas (Waltz), but luckily, the people of Brazil are already trying to fight for
better access and comprehensive education. A March for Education was held in Rio de Janeiro,
where citizens protested the consistent devaluing on teachers and professors by the
government across Brazil (Mattos). It is important that the leaders in government support the
education of all of its people. In order to ward off health threats, the people of a nation must be
knowledgeable and receptive to advice of health warnings. Further education, especially
surrounding sexual and reproductive health, will provide women with the information they need
to make educated decisions about their own bodies.

In fact, it is argued that healthier

populations might have higher schooling levels (Russo). This means that it is quite possible
that as the health of Brazilians improve, so will their attendance to schools. Thus, all of these
components must work together to create a better Brazil for women and men alike.
Sexual and reproductive health care sector

Health care resources, such as contraceptives, medical treatments, and vaccinations,

are vital in combating the Zika virus. Research shows that women average a less satisfactory
hospital stay than men, receiving insufficient amounts of pain medication and receiving
substandard care from nurses (Teunissen et al, 2016). But the search for equal health care
treatment goes beyond the doors of a hospital. In a published report, forty women in need of
Zika treatment were interviewed and it was found that all of them came from low economic
status. The rich have first world sanitation and the poor live in the most precarious conditionals
imaginable, making them by far the most vulnerable to these illnesses,(Brooks, 2016). The fact
that women are more likely to become victims of Zika suggests that less resources are available
for women to improve their quality of life. Due to womens lack of resources and education, the
cost of living is going to continue to grow while the financial stability of women in poverty keeps
them from getting beneficial health care. A study conducted by Lynda Tyler-Viola exposes the
reality of the wage gap between men and women, pointing out that women are segregated into
work that pays them 23% to 30% less than men. This shows that women are proven to have
significant disadvantage for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Economic resources and support services sector
Access to economic resources is a necessary prerequisite to seeing that un-affected
women are given preventative health care and affected women are treated. Women throughout
Brazil dont have access to effective contraception and safe pregnancy termination is either not
available (especially for those living below the poverty line) or a crime for many women in
Zikaendemic regions (Harris, 2016). Not only that but we see problems on how governments
have done little to help women control their fertility(Economist, 2016). Change can be made
with better leaders. Lack of economic resources and policies can drastically change and
increase the quality of life we see surrounding women. Social programs such as Bolsa Famlia,
a social welfare program of the Brazilian government, significantly increases womens decisionmaking power regarding contraception (Brauw, 2014). The conditional cash transfer program
allows women the chance and resources needed that they wouldnt have access to prior to
receiving help from this program. Bolsa Familia can be utilized to ensure women have the
financial capability to make preventive choices for the health of themselves and their family.
CONCLUSION
This white paper shows that established systematic gender inequalities in the
educational, medical, and economic sectors are deeply tied to the spread of the Zika virus. It

shows Zika can effectively be fought with the election of of female political leaders and the
promotion of gender equality in Brazilian society. It also shows that fighting Zika helps not just
the Good Health & Well-Being SDG but the Gender Equality SDG as well.
One unresolved issue is seeking out the right women to take part in the grassroots
initiative.The required sectors are noted, but the best candidates need to be selected from those
sectors. Likewise, a future research opportunity and course of action would be to investigate
and establish operating procedures for vetting candidates for the initiative.
As it is, the grassroots initiative would be a powerful tool in the fight against the Zika
virus in Brazil. With this initiative moving forward, issues of gender inequality in Brazil, as well as
the health concerns relating to the Zika virus, will be addressed and solved in an efficient and
enduring manner for generations to come.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brauw, Alan De, Daniel O. Gilligan, John Hoddinott, and Shalini Roy. "The Impact of Bolsa
Familia on Women's Decision-Making Power." World Development 59 (2014): 487-504. Web. 11
Oct. 2016.
Brauw, Gilligan, Hoddinott, and Roy from the International Food policy Research Institute in
Washington, DC, touch on the effects conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs have on
women. One program they show to have benefited women in Brazil is Bolsa Familia. We
understand throughout their research that Bolsa Famlia significantly increases womens

decision-making power regarding contraception (Brauw, 2014). They analyze how

womens empowermenttheir ability to participate on the basis of equality in all spheres of
decision making, both public and privatehas both intrinsic and instrumental value(Brauw,
2014). They believe with the help of cash transfer programs, women will enable themselves
to make better decisions and better themselves when it comes to contraception, and health
expenses. This publication is useful because it touches on the issue between economic
resources, as we saw with the CCT, and gender, the resources available for women in
Brazil.
Brooks, Brad. "Infrastructure Inequality Is Catalyst for Brazil's Zika Epidemic." Reuters Health
Medical News E-Line 10.10 (2016). Factiva, Inc. Web. Oct. 2016.
Brad Brooks, a reporter researching the spread of the Zika virus, reviews the dynamics of
societies survival against zika in Brazil. In a society where the financial gap between rich
and poor has grown so dramatically, it is clear that there is nothing the poorer citizen can
do to prevent illness. 40 women seeking treatment for the virus were interviewed and all of
them came from low economic status (Brooks). The rich have first-world sanitation and the
poor live in the most precarious conditions imaginable, making them by far the most
vulnerable to these illnesses," stated an interviewee. The fact that women are more likely to
become victims of zika suggests that there are less resources available for women to
improve their quality of life. This publication is useful because it specifically talks about the
correlation between gender inequalities and living conditions within Brazils economy.
Harrington, Jaira J. "A Place of Their Own: Black Feminist Leadership and Economic and
Educational Justice in So Paulo and Rio De Janeiro, Brazil." Latin American and Caribbean
Ethnic Studies 10.3 (2015): 271-87. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.
Jaira J. Harrington, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, examines
the leadership of black Brazilian women on issues of economic access and education.
Specifically, she tries to understand How do black Brazilian women leaders choose,
understand, and formulate the issues that comprise their political agenda? (271). From her
study, she finds that. Black Brazilian womens political activism around economic access
and education are motivated by their life experiences at the intersections of class inequality,
racial democracy, and machismo, and mediated by black feminist praxis (282). This
qualitative study, published through an academic journal and written for other political
scholars, is meant to show the importance of including black Brazilian women in leadership
roles to address socio-economic problems. This paper provides us with validation of the
efficacy of involving female leaders in socio-economic problems. It also brings up the
important racial aspect of poverty within Brazil and how to address it with female
leadership.
Ledwith, S., and J. Munakamwe. "Gender, Union Leadership and Collective Bargaining: Brazil
and South Africa." The Economic and Labour Relations Review 26.3 (2015): 411-29. Web. 11
Oct. 2016.
Sue Ledwith, Professor of Labour and Womens Studies at Ruskin College in Oxford, and
Janet Munakamwe, Doctoral Candidate at the University of the Witwatersrand in South

Africa, research the role of gender and collective bargaining in trade unions in Brazil and
South Africa. This study hypothesizes that the unexplained gender pay gaps have a direct
relation to the absence of women in the collective bargaining process (411). The
conclusion of the study shows that where women are politicised, active and collectively in
positions of power, they can be effective and can influence collective bargaining agendas
and outcomes (422). This socio-political study, funded by a fellowship award, published by
an economic journal, and written for economists, was done to provide insight into the
unexplained gender pay gap that the International Trade Union Council could not account
for. This study helps us by reinforcing the idea that politicised and empowered Brazilian
women can create positive change for Brazilian women as a whole. Specifically, it
demonstrates that women in positions of power, working together, can help fight existing
social inequalities like the wage gap in Brazil.
Lisa H. Harris, Neil S. Silverman & Mary Faith Marshall (2016) The Paradigm of the Paradox:
Women, Pregnant Women, and the Unequal Burdens of the Zika Virus Pandemic, The
American Journal of Bioethics, 16:5, 1-4, DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2016.1177367
Harris, Silverman, and Marshall, all from the School of Medicine in Michigan, California,
and Virginia, talk about how Three paradoxes characterize the Zika Virus pandemic and
clinical and policy responses(Harris, 2016). They bring up the issues that they believe to
be affecting the wide spread of the Zika virus. They mention :access to effective
contraception and safe pregnancy termination is either not available (especially for those
living below the poverty line) or a crime for many women in the Zika endemic
regions(Harris 2016). They analyze the effects the Virus has on women through
paradoxes, and the policies that arent available that would be crucial to changing womens
quality of life. This journal is useful as it talks about policies that would be beneficial for
women, and a potential way they could decrease the amount of zika related cases.
Mattos, A., On Sluts, Teachers, and Black Blocs: The Street and the Construction of Political
Dissent in Brazil. Signs Journal 40. (2014) 69-74.
Amana Mattos is an Assistant Professor for the Psychology Department at the State
University of Rio de Janeiro with concentrations in developmental psychology and gender
issues. In this journal article, she describes two demonstrations she attended that took
place in Rio de Janeiro, a SlutWalk and a March for Education. She mentions the
significance of each, and relates them to her concentrations. This article will help us
understand what methods, such as demonstrations, are already being used to promote
change in education and womens rights in Brazil. We can also begin to understand what
kind of changes the people of Brazil want and need in these areas.
Pound, P., Langford, R., and Campbell, R., What do young people think about their schoolbased sex and relationship education? A qualitative synthesis of young peoples views and
experiences. BMJ Open (2016).
Pandora Pound, a professor of sociology at the University of Bristol presents results of a
survey to students about the level of sexual education they needed versus what they
received. The general consensus is that not enough sex and relationship education (SRE)

is provided across the countries that they studied (UK, Ireland, the USA, Australia, New
Zealand, Canada, Japan, Iran, Brazil and Sweden). This journal article is geared towards
those with an interest in sociology, and education. It holds significant value for our research
by providing specifics on what sexual education categories are being left out most often,
which categories are the most necessary, and how this information should be distributed.
Russo, L. X., and Dias, J., The Health Influence on Returns to Education in Brazil: a nonlinear
approach. EconomiA 17.2 (2016). 210-220.
Leticia Xander Russo is a PhD student at the State University of Maringa. She set out to
analyze data regarding the relationship between health and attendance in schools. As you
may expect, the health of a town positively correlated with higher attendance rates. For our
research, we want to look at improving conditions for women across the country. Knowing
that health affects the kind of education a child will receive is especially useful. Though our
focus is on women, we know that it is important for children of both genders to be in good
health which will allows them to attend school and learn.

Teunissen, T.a.m., M.e. Rotink, and A.l.m. Lagro-Janssen. "Gender Differences in Quality of
Care Experiences during Hospital Stay: A Contribution to Patient-centered Healthcare for Both
Men and Women." Patient Education and Counseling 99.4 (2016): 631-37. ClinicalKey. Web.
Oct. 2016.
Academic professionals, Teunissen, Rotink, and Lagro-Janssen explore the differences in
hospital treatments and assessments by men and women to uncover gender inequalities in
the healthcare industry. Patients admitted into a university hospital were randomly selected
to complete a cross-sectional survey that compared patient characteristics to hospital
assessments. Researchers found that female patients rate their hospital experience
significantly lower than men, specifically in regards to the behavior of nurses. Researchers
also discovered that women were given less pain killers than men, causing women to
experience significantly more discomfort or pain during their stay (Teunissen). There are
limitations to this survey analysis because the random sample pool was chosen at a
university hospital. Therefore this information is not entirely generalizable to the rest of the
world. Information in this analysis can be useful in determining whether or not gender
affects the level of care a patient receives during a hospital stay.
To breed, or not to breed; The Zika virus. The Economist 30 Jan. 2016: 29(US). Academic
OneFile. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.
In the Economist, To breed, or not to breed they bring up the debate of birth control in
Brazil. This journal touches on the issue that women dont have the access to birth control
they should have, and they are increasing their risk of getting the zika virus. In this journal
they say the governments have done little to help women control their fertility(Economist,
2016). We see that rates of accidental pregnancy are high because sex education is
inadequate and birth control is hard to come by (Economist, 2014). Women are more likely
to develop the zika virus, and with the lack of resources available now put them at a higher
risk of having a poor quality life. This journal is useful because it talks about the lack of

resources women have that can affect the quality of one's life, and a key resource that
could change this for women.
TyerViola, Lynda A., and Sandra K. Cesario. "Addressing Poverty, Education, and Gender
Equality to Improve the Health of Women Worldwide." Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic &
Neonatal Nursing 39.5 (2010): 580-89. Wiley Online. Web. Oct. 2016.
Lynda Tyer-Viola, from the Institute of Health Professionals, draws the conclusion that
health care, education, and poverty reinforce gender inequality within society. A woman's
status in society, her lack of empowerment, and the inequities that exist related to
employment and pay create barriers to achieving health(580). Globally, 50 to 90 million
people live in extreme poverty, many of which are women. Due to their lack of resources
and education, the cost of living is going to continue to grow while the financial stability of
women in poverty keeps them from getting beneficial health care. In Western Asia, 64% of
three million children not enrolled in school are girls, Tyer-Viola states, women in
Bangladesh are segregated into work that pays them 23% to 30% less than men. With
less education and unequal pay, it is more difficult for women to maintain a healthy life.
Tyer-Viola suggests three goals to help battle global gender inequality; eradicate poverty,
achieve universal primary education, and empower women. This publication includes
various statistics and examples from around the globe.
Waltz, A., The women who feed us: Gender empowerment (or lack thereof) in rural Southern
Brazil. Journal of Rural Studies 47 (2016) 31-40.
Amber Waltz did research of women in Brazil at American University. She included factors
that limit these rural women, including a lack of education. Her article present the problems
as they are occurring and demonstrates possible solutions to issues that these women
face. Her article touches specifically on women who are involved in agriculture, and she
discusses various aspects of urban migration. The information presented to us in this article
could prove helpful in understanding what these rural women face on a day-to-day basis,
as well as gaining some insight on possible solutions to problems they encounter.