Next Sunday, March 20, the 2nd edition of the Movement for Women Race will take place. It will take place in the Ibirapuera region of São Paulo, starting at 7am on Avenida Pedro Álvares Cabral, in front of the São Paulo Legislative Assembly. Designed to involve everyone, regardless of gender, age, fitness or sporting level, the event offers running (at distances of 5 kilometers and 10 kilometers) and walking (5 kilometers).

 

Conceived by public prosecutor Gabriela Manssur in partnership with athletes Deborah Aquino and Paula Narvaez, the movement supports the campaigns Eles por Elas and Por um Planeta 50:50 em 2030, both by UN Women, which aim to ensure equal rights for men and women. 

 

As well as being an event to encourage physical activity, the idea of the race is to get women and men to reflect on and discuss issues such as empowerment, equality and justice, and to make society and the public authorities aware of the serious social problem of violence against women.

 

Gabriela Manssur, coordinator of the Center for Combating Domestic and Family Violence in São Paulo, is also a runner and argues that sport is one of the ways to empower women and restore self-esteem for those who have suffered violence, whether physical or psychological. "Gender equality is not just a fight for women, but also for men, who can and should embrace the cause. You can't talk about sustainability without addressing issues such as quality of life, gender equality in all sectors of society and a life free of any kind of violence for girls and women," says Gabriela.

 

Each regular entry costs R$80, of which R$10 will go directly to NGOs and associations that fight violence and help empower women. Some of the organizations benefiting are the Maria da Penha Institute, the Artemis Association, Projeto Vida Corrida, Geledés - Black Women's Institute and the São Paulo Women's Union.

 

 

 

The creators of the 'Movement for Women', Gabriela Manssur, Paula Narvaez and Deborah Aquino.