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Damares Alves

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Damares Alves
Alves in 2023
Senator for the Federal District
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 February 2023
Preceded byReguffe
Minister of Women, Families and Human Rights
In office
1 January 2019 – 31 March 2022
PresidentJair Bolsonaro
Preceded byGustavo Rocha
Succeeded byCristiane Britto
Personal details
Born
Damares Regina Alves

(1964-09-11) 11 September 1964 (age 60)
Paranaguá, Paraná, Brazil
Political partyRepublicanos (2022–present)
Other political
affiliations		PP (1995–2020)
ProfessionEvangelical pastor

Damares Regina Alves (born 11 September 1964) is a Brazilian lawyer and evangelical pastor.

Overview

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Alves was the Minister of Women, Families, and Human Rights during the Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro[1] from 2019 to 2022. She is the second female minister appointed to the new government as of December 2018.[2] In the 2022 election, Damares was elected Senator for the Federal District.[3]

Alves defends the prohibition of abortion after rape and in risk pregnancies, women trafficking, supports legislation forcing schools and hospitals to report attempts at suicide,[4] the prohibition of juvenile self-harming and drug consumption, which she said include taking hormone blockers.[5] She declared that she is engaged directly in the "preparation of youth for the Fourth Industrial Revolution" and intended to consolidate an agenda between different ministries of the Federal Government capable of integrating programs, policies, projects and initiatives under the same, articulated perspective of impact - modernizing education.[6]

Biography

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Born in Paraná in 1964, daughter of northeastern parents, Alves migrated to the northeast with her family.[7] As a child, she lived in Bahia, in Alagoas and Sergipe. She also lived in São Carlos in the São Paulo state. These moves are strictly linked to her father's profession, as he was the pastor Henrique Alves Sobrinho, from the "Quadrangular" Gospel Church - the Foursquare Gospel Church.[8]

She studied pedagogy at the Faculdade Pio X in Aracaju and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1986. She then studied law at the Faculdades Integradas de São Carlos [pt] and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1992.[9][10]

Career

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In São Carlos, she worked for the Municipal Secretary of Tourism,[11] serving in the old COMTUR (Municipal Commission of Tourism), during the government of the mayor Vadinho de Guzzi.[12] In 1999, shortly before obtaining her registration in the state bar exam, (the OAB-SP), she became junior parliamentarian auxiliary in Brasília.[13][14]

She was a pastor of Foursquare Gospel Church[15] and also of the Baptist Church of Lagoinha,[15] in Belo Horizonte.[16]

Alves was co-ordinator of the educational project of Proteger Program,[citation needed] organization created by Guilherme Zanina Schelb, regional attorney of the Republic in the Federal District and member of the National Association of Evangelical Jurists (organization of which Alves was Director of Parliamentary Affairs[17]). Schelb was known for defending the project nicknamed "Escola sem Partido" (Nonpartisan School).[18]

In 1999, Alves moved to Brasília to work as a parliamentary assistant in the office of deputy Joshua Bengtson (PTB-PA). She also worked for federal deputy Arolde de Oliveira (PSD), a senator elected by Rio de Janeiro in 2018, and whose success at the polls in October was due, in large part, to the support of the so-called "Bolsonaro clan."[19] She served as a parliamentary auxiliary in Senator Magno Malta's office,[20][21] prior to the bond with the senator in favor of the Espírito Santo state. He was chief of cabinet of another exponent of the Neopentecostal bench in the Chamber of Deputies, the federal deputy João Campos de Araújo (PRB).[22]

Alves with former US Ambassador to Brazil, Todd Chapman.

She has worked as legal adviser in the National Congress for more than 20 years, before her appointment by Bolsonaro to the Ministry of Women, Families and Human Rights.[23]

Criticisms

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From 2013, during a lecture at a church in Mato Grosso do Sul, she presented herself as a lawyer and master in education, constitutional law and family law, although she never received a master's degree and her schooling is limited to a Law degree.[24] On that occasion, she was criticizing a Dutch custom.[25] When confronted about her lack of credentials, she argued saying she was a Christian master (or "teacher," as in most of the versions), as in Ephesians 4:11 "And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers".[24]

Government Ministry

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Alves had been a legal adviser in the National Congress for more than 20 years prior to her appointment by Bolsonaro.[26]

As Minister of Women, Families and Human Rights of Brazil, she, at the United Nations 63rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2019, affirmed that the combatting violence against women is a definite goal of the government, as well as the growth of girls.[27]

A man and a woman in business attire in an office-like setting
Alves meets with officials

In 2020, she stated that she wishes to see more women in politics and launched a course to encourage women to run for office called Marathon+ Women in Politics.[28] More women stood for election that year, including Maely Benedetti who was elected as a local councillor for Tucumã in the northern state of Pará on a pro-family ticket, and Rita Passos, who was runner-up in the mayoral race in Itu. Both were supported by Alves.

Personal views and activism

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Deeply religious, she has claimed to have seen a vision of Jesus atop a guava tree, and has stated that "the State is secular, but this minister is extremely Christian, and because of that, she believes in God's design."[29]

Alves has indicated that religious views should take greater prominence in national politics. In 2016 journalists reported that she had addressed worshippers in an Evangelical church telling them, "It is time for the church to tell the nation that we have come ... It is time for the church to govern."[1]

She also disclosed that she is a supporter of "traditional" gender roles within society and an opponent of what she regards as "ideological indoctrination," suggesting that girls should be regarded as "princesses" who wear pink and boys as little "princes" who wear blue.[29] In a viral video, she claimed that Elsa from Disney's Frozen must be a lesbian because the princess ends up alone in a castle of ice.[30] Alves says that "women are made to be mothers.".[31]

She also supports prohibiting abortion in cases of rape or incest (only supporting it on cases where the mother's or baby's life/health is threatened) and harsher punishments on women trafficking and rape.[4] She also previously defended projects to fight juvenile self-harming and suicide as well as juvenile drug consumption (which includes, in her opinion, hormone blockers).[5]

Alves is a vocal critic of the annual carnival festival in Brazil, saying that "carnival parties, unfortunately, are an affront and a disrespect to the Christian faith." Alves promised to pass a bill protecting evangelicals who protest at the carnival.[32]

Personal life

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Alves has an adoptive daughter[33] of Kamayurá indigenous origin, born in 1998 in Xingu Indigenous Park. Some journalists of Época Magazine in Brazil went to the tribe, who claim the child was kidnapped from them;[34] they say she was lured to Brasilia by Alves and an associate named Márcia Suzuki, who presented themselves as missionaries, under the pretense of taking her to the city for dental treatment.[31] Alves and her adopted daughter deny it, while Alves claims she saved her from malnutrition and possible infanticide.[35]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bolsonaro abolishes human rights ministry in favour of family values | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  2. ^ Marshall, Euan (7 December 2018). "Who is Damares Alves, Brazil's new Minister of Human Rights?". The Brazilian Report. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  3. ^ Yoneshigue, Bernardo (2 October 2022). "Damares Alves supera Flávia Arruda e é eleita senadora pelo Distrito Federal". O Globo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Damares faz ronda no Senado para aprovar projeto antissuicídio". O Antagonista (in Brazilian Portuguese). 3 April 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  5. ^ a b Oliveira, Raquel. "Ministra Damares Alves promove ações do ministério em parceria com o TJSE". Mulher, da Família e dos Direitos Humanos (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 16 October 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  6. ^ Oliveira, Raquel. "Governo Federal anuncia Agenda Juventude 4.0 em todo o país". Mulher, da Família e dos Direitos Humanos (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  7. ^ Portinari, Natália; Ohara, Carlos (13 January 2019). "Damares Alves: a trajetória conservadora da ministra que criou polêmica". oglobo.globo.com (in Brazilian Portuguese).
  8. ^ Andrade, Eduardo Goulart de; Pavarin, Guilherme; Tisseo, Cassio (23 January 2019). "Antes de ser ministra, Damares tentou impedir aborto em paciente com câncer". Vice (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  9. ^ Ohara, Carlos (18 February 2019). "Posso ir às ruas de braços dados com feministas por salários iguais, diz Damares". folha.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese).
  10. ^ "Fadisc é descredenciada pelo MEC". www.saocarlosagora.com.br. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  11. ^ EPTV. "Futura ministra da Mulher, Família e Direitos Humanos morou em São Carlos". ACidade ON São Carlos (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  12. ^ "Portal SCDN". www.saocarlosdiaenoite.com.br. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  13. ^ Müller, Luiz (22 December 2018). "Antes mesmo de ser nomeada Ministra, Damares Alves é flagrada usufruindo de dinheiro público.Hipocrisia pouca é bobagem!". Luíz Müller Blog (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  14. ^ Tisseo, Cassio; Pavarin, Guilherme; Cesarotti, Fernando (21 December 2018). "Damares Alves: a pastora que dividiu a esquerda e irritou a direita antes de tomar posse". Vice (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  15. ^ a b "O que defende Damares Alves, a futura ministra da Mulher". Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  16. ^ "Pastora da Lagoinha, Damares Alves assumirá Ministério de Direitos Humanos, Família e Mulheres no próximo Governo Federal". Lagoinha (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  17. ^ "Quem somos". Movimento Nacional da Cidadania pela Vida - Brasil Sem Drogas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 19 January 2016. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  18. ^ "Guilherme Schelb, cotado por Bolsonaro para a Educação, é defensor do Escola Sem Partido - Jornal O Globo". oglobo.globo.com. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  19. ^ Brazil, Federative Republic of (2015). Câmara dos Deputados (PDF). Boletim Administrativo.
  20. ^ "Pessoal de Gabinete de Magno Malta em 2016 - Transparência". www6g.senado.leg.br. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  21. ^ "Bolsonaro convida Damares Alves para Direitos Humanos e desagrada bancada evangélica". GaúchaZH (in Brazilian Portuguese). 1 December 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  22. ^ "Candidato à presidência da Câmara, João Campos elogia escolha de Damares". Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  23. ^ "Brasil sem aborto. Prioridade a mulheres ribeirinhas e ciganos. O que pensa a nova ministra da Mulher". HuffPost Brasil (in Portuguese). 7 December 2018. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  24. ^ a b "Sem diploma, Damares já se apresentou como mestre em educação e direito". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 31 January 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  25. ^ "VÍDEO: Veja a fala de Damares que irritou os holandeses". O Antagonista (in Brazilian Portuguese). 24 January 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  26. ^ Melo, Debora (7 December 2018). "Brasil sem aborto. Prioridade a mulheres ribeirinhas e ciganos. O que pensa a nova ministra da Mulher". HuffPost Brasil (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  27. ^ "CSW63: ministra Damares Alves diz que alvo do Brasil é "erradicar violência doméstica"". ONU News (in Portuguese). 12 March 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  28. ^ Latin America Bureau
  29. ^ a b ""Boys Wear Blue and Girls Wear Pink," Says Human Rights Minister". 4 January 2019.
  30. ^ "Ministra Damares diz que Elsa, de 'Frozen', é lésbica". Band Jornalismo on Youtube (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  31. ^ a b De 2019, 31 De Enero. "Brasil: acusan a una ministra de Jair Bolsonaro de haber raptado una niña indígena que cuida como su hija". Infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 25 August 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ Phillips, Dom (26 February 2020). "Evangelical Christians in Brazil resolve to 'bring Jesus' to carnival revelers". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  33. ^ Renata Cafardo e Marianna Holanda (23 de dezembro de 2018). «O que defende Damares Alves, a futura ministra da Mulher». Terra. Consultado em 2 de janeiro de 2019
  34. ^ "A história de Lulu Kamayurá, a índia criada como filha pela ministra Damares Alves". Época (in Brazilian Portuguese). 31 January 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  35. ^ "Damares levou e adotou índia de forma irregular, diz tribo". Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2019.
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Political offices
Preceded by
Gustavo do Vale Rocha
as Minister of Human Rights 		Minister of Women, Families and Human Rights
2019–2022 		Succeeded by
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