Catarina Marcelino Rosa da Silva was born in Montijo, in the Setúbal District of Portugal on 25 January 1971.

She was deputy to the Secretary of State for Social Security from 2005 to 2009 and served as chair of the Commission for Equality in Work and Employment from February to October 2009.

Between 2015 and 2017, she served as Secretary of State for Citizenship and Equality in the 21st Portuguese Constitutional Government and, on returning to the Assembly, was vice-president of the parliamentary commission on Labour and Social Security.

She implemented policies that promote effective equality and ensured for the first time the existence of specific resources to support LGBTI victims.

She was personally involved in the Government's draft law that established the right to self-determination of gender identity and the right to protection of sexual characteristics - an initiative built in constant dialogue with LGBTI associations.