Instituto Patrícia Galvão: Effecting Social and Political Change 

Created in 2000, the Instituto Patrícia Galvão is a Brazilian feminist organization that builds the media and communications capacity of women's groups and works to effect social and political change through strategic communications. This includes developing media campaigns and key partnerships with NGOs and national networks in order to ensure gender-sensitive media coverage of issues that affect women in Brazil.

As an active member of the political and communications committees of the Brazilian Initiative for the Right to Legal and Safe Abortion (Jornadas Brasileiras pelo Direito ao Aborto Legal e Seguro) , a national network that advocates for the reform of Brazil's restrictive abortion laws, the Instituto Patrícia Galvão has collaborated with several non-governmental organizations on a media training program for Brazilian feminists. In 2005,   the Instituto Patrícia Galvão carried out a pilot project to train feminist educators, community-based women’s organizations, and individuals working on abortion rights to craft new messages for Joranada’s communications and media strategy. 

Prior to Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Brazil in May of 2007, the Instituto Patrícia Galvão spearheaded a media campaign aimed at encouraging balanced coverage of his trip and ensuring that the media included accurate information on sexual and reproductive rights and health. Specifically, the Instituto Patrícia Galvão emphasized the conflict and disconnect between the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on sexual and reproductive rights and health and the behavior of the majority of Brazilians, both Catholics and non-Catholics.

IWHC has supported the Patrícia Galvão Institute since 2002.

Visit Instituto Patrícia Galvão's website>>

Page last updated 5/1/08.