Ministra Eleonora Menicucci - Profile

Eleonora Menicucci de Oliveira is a feminist from the very beginning of the so-called “Second Wave of Brazilian Feminism” which emerged in 1975. She was born on the 21st of August 1944 in the city of Lavras, State of Minas Gerais. She became interested in socialist ideas in her youth and, after the military coup of 1964, got involved with left-wing organizations. In 1971 she was arrested and spent almost three years in prison, in the city of São Paulo. After leaving prison, she resumed her life in Belo Horizonte and in 1978 she moved with her children to the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba, where she began her career as a professor in the Federal University of Paraiba.

At that time her academic and political career became fully committed to  militant feminism and research about the living conditions of Brazilian women. She worked in the Center of Human Rights of the Archdiocese of Paraíba, focusing on the rights of female rural workers.  She affiliated herself with the Labor Party - PT at the time of its creation in 1980. In São Paulo, she continued her feminist militancy centering on the struggle for the integral health of women and against gender violence. For many years she was a consultant of the National Women’s Commission of the Central Trade Union Federation – (Central Única dos Trabalhadores - CUT), wich became afterwards the National Secretariat of Women Workers of CUT. She participated actively in councils, commissions and consultations on public policies and the rights of women.  

In her academic life, Eleonora Menicucci possesses broad experience as a researcher and professor in the areas of sociology and public health with emphasis on the sociology of health. Her chief areas of research are: health and gender relations; gender violence and health; the woman worker and health and reproductive health and sexual rights.  She is the Cathedratic Professor for Public Health in the Department of Preventive Medicine of the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp). She was Pro-Rector of Extension Courses of Unifesp until February of 2012 when, at the invitation of President Dilma Rousseff, she left office to become Minister, Head of the Secretariat of Policies for Women.

The Minister holds a Bachelor’s degree in social sciences from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, (1974), a Master’s degree in sociology from the Federal University of Paraíba (1983), a Doctorate in political science from the University of São Paulo (1990), a Post-Doctorate in women’s health and work from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Studies of Milan (1994-1995), and was appointed with a professor degree in Public Health by the Faculty of Public Health of the University of São Paulo (1996). As a researcher, she regularly publishes essays and articles about critical subjects on the condition of women in the areas of health, violence and labor.  

Eleonora Menicucci is divorced and has two children – Maria and Gustavo and three grandchildren – Stella, João and Gregório. 

• Currículo Lattes (CNPq) da Ministra
• Artigos Publicados pela Ministra
• Fotos Oficiais da Ministra (alta resolução)