São Gonçalo launches women’s empowerment initiatives targeting gender violence and heavy‑machinery training

A traditional quadrilha performed at Rio’s Feira de São Cristóvão carried a banner reading “Violência contra as mulheres: não permita!” The dance, organized by the municipal project “Mulheres que Fazem e Acontecem,” is part of a campaign by São Gonçalo’s Subsecretariat for Women’s Public Policies to raise awareness of gender‑based violence. The group will present again on 25 July at the Pátio Alcântara.

Separately, the company Orizon, in partnership with the local CRAS and NGOs, has opened a free technical program called “Mulheres na Operação.” The course trains women to operate heavy‑machinery such as rollers, loaders, excavators and backhoes at Orizon’s ecopark in São Gonçalo. Participants receive a year of supervised work and are slated for hiring in August, aiming to broaden female representation in a traditionally male‑dominated sector and support the city’s circular‑economy projects.