Teodora Inácia Gomes, nicknamed "Obono" by her family, was born in Empada, in the Quínara Region of southern Guinea-Bissau on 13 September 1944.
[1] In 1962 Gomes joined the armed struggle and became a member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), a movement that, among other principles, established equality between men and women, stating that "men and women enjoy the same rights in the family, at work and in public activities".
[1] In 1966 Gomes returned to Conakry, where she continued her activities as a teacher at Jardim Escola de Ratoma (Instituto Amizade); from 1969 to 1971 she was Director of the school.
[6] As a politician she has defended women's rights throughout her career and was instrumental in making female genital mutilation illegal in Guinea Bissau.
[7] Gomes also works with a non-governmental organisation, which aims to raise political awareness and to increase the number of women in the various government bodies.