Festival Pacto das Pretas gathers 1,500 leaders to boost Black women leadership in Brazil

The second day of the Festival Pacto das Pretas was held on 21 July at Rio de Janeiro’s Museum of Art (MAR). The event, part of the fifth edition running from 17 July to 24 July in Salvador, Rio and São Paulo, brought together about 1,500 leaders to discuss corporate governance, diversity and the empowerment of Black women in the economy and technology sectors.

The festival is organized by the Pacto de Promoção da Equidade Racial (PER) and supported by 85 companies, including Aegea, Caixa, Banco do Brasil, Vivo, XP Inc and Natura, which have signed a national ESG Racial Protocol. Historian Wânia Sant’Anna, president of PER’s deliberative council, said the goal is to strengthen Black women’s presence in strategic decision‑making. Participants highlighted employment, entrepreneurship and investment in Black women as essential for a fair, prosperous future.

A key outcome was the launch of the “Black Hub” platform, created on 17 June in São Paulo to provide anti‑racist education, cultural resources and professional acceleration. The festival also released the book *Vozes que Ocupam*, featuring 16 texts from Black leaders in culture, communication and education. As writer Luna Vitrolira put it, “when a Black woman leads, she opens paths, shares opportunities and inspires others to occupy positions of power.”