In 2016, Brazilians were horrified by the news of a teenage girl having been gang raped by a group of over 30 men. In Cidade Ocidental, a city in the state of Goiás near the Brazilian capital, Brasília, a group of women got together to do something that could go beyond the outrage.

Thus was created Coletivo Nós por Nós (Us for Us Collective), from the idea that women should help other women, including emotional support, and with the goal of contributing positively to concrete changes in their lives. Beyond their mutual support, they mobilize around initiatives in Cidade Ocidental focusing on work, services and participation in public hearings and councils.

“Political innovation means including minorities in the conversation” (Cintia Ribeiro de Souza)