Twenty-five participants from thirteen municipalities in Brazil attended a Training of Trainers (TOT) Institute organized by WLP’s Brazil partner CEPIA in Rio de Janeiro in July 2016. The training aimed to raise awareness and motivate women to take action on women's rights issues including violence, reproductive health, and political involvement.
Participants developed messages and posters for their advocacy projects during WLP Brazil/Cepia's 2016 TOT.
TOT Institutes provide individuals with the knowledge and tools to facilitate future workshops in their own communities. Participants came from diverse occupational sectors including social media professionals, sociologists, lawyers, health professionals, university students and designers.
The training changed the participants' concept of leadership and increased their knowledge of gender and human rights.
“I met women with different commitments, worries, and life stories- all of them are leaders,” one participant said. “It became clear to me that we can be leaders in different ways and in different moments of our lives.”
The training also provided new perspectives and tools on how to be a political actor, and participants realized that they already were political actors in many ways.
The group discussed how social media and the arts could be used to advocate for women’s rights. They created a YouTube channel to share videos and continue to exchange ideas through Facebook and Whatsapp.
After the training, participants shared their new knowledge with their organizations. One attendee, the chief editor of Hi Hat Girls magazine, convened a discussion about women’s power and leadership in the field of music, which was attended by over 80 people.