Nilcéa Freire

At the end of her term, she became the Brazilian representative for the Ford Foundation and oversaw their programs to promote opportunity and justice for underrepresented minorities.

She enrolled in the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) in 1972,[2] but was forced to suspend her studies between 1975 and 1977 for participation in student protests.

After completing her residency, Freire enrolled in a Master's program in Zoology at the National Museum at UFRJ, conducting research on Schistosoma mansoni and other parasites which are prevalent in Brazil.

[5] In 1999, she became a dean and instituted an affirmative action policy, requiring UFRJ to provide reserved places for low-income black students and those trained in public education.

[3] In 1995, she became affiliated with the Partido dos Trabalhadores, but had not previously been involved in feminist issues when on 27 January 2004, she was sworn in as Special Secretariat of Policies for Women during the government of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.