The Diploma Bertha Lutz (Bertha Lutz Diploma), also known as the Prêmio Bertha Lutz (Bertha Lutz Prize), was established by the Federal Senate of Brazil to recognize women who have made contributions to the defense of women's rights and gender issues in Brazil.[1] It is named in honor of the Brazilian biologist and feminist leader Bertha Lutz.[1]
The award was established by a 2001 resolution, based on an initial 1998 draft resolution presented by Senator Emília Fernandes.[2] It is given annually during a special session of the Federal Senate as part of events for International Women's Day on March 8.[1] Government entities or nongovernmental organizations can nominate candidates for the Diploma, and the nominations pass through the Board of the Federal Senate.[2] The winners are selected by the Diploma Bertha Luz Council, composed of one representative from each political party within the Senate.[2] The award traditionally recognized five women from different areas of expertise, although that number has increased in recent years.[1][3]
Chloris Casagrande Justen, educator, participant in the State Council of Education of Paraná, and affiliate with the NGO Soroptimista, which aims to provide services to improve the lives of women. Vice president of the Academia Brasileira de Letras' Paraná branch;
Maria José da Silva, created the Residents Association of Conjunto Bento Ribeiro Dantas in Maré, in Rio de Janeiro, which works on socially inclusive recycling;
Maria Ruth Barreto Cavalcante, psychopedagogue who studied pedagogy in Cologne, Germany, in the 1960s and was imprisoned by the military for training groups of university students to teach children literacy skills;
Carmen Helena Ferreira Foro, first woman to become a manager in a trade union center in Brazil, as vice president of the Central Única dos Trabalhadores;
Ana Maria Pacheco de Vasconcelos (in memoriam)[13]
Eunice Michiles, first woman elected as a senator in the history of Brazil;
Rosali Scalabrin, representative of the Pastoral Land Commission;
Ana Alice da Costa, professor associated with the political science department of the Federal University of Bahia, creator of an interdisciplinary postgraduate program on women's studies known as NEIM[14]
Maria Lygia Maynard, president of the Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Deficientes Auditivos de Sergipe, an organization for supporters of the hearing impaired[16]
In the Diploma Bertha Lutz's 20th anniversary year, after two years of interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the award was given to 21 honorees:[21]
