Her paternal grandfather was Luiz Mendes de Moraes [pt], who was Minister of War in 1909.
She married the communist militant Luis Werneck de Castro, also a lawyer.
She participated in the Federación Brasileña por el Progreso Femenino, and in the Liga Antifascista.
[4] With Mary Mercio and Eugênia Álvaro Moreyra, she co-founded the União Feminina do Brasil [pt],[5] also serving as its director.
She became a member of the Brazilian Communist Party in 1947, serving in the Movimiento Unitario de los Trabajadores e Intelectuales.