Elly Carvalho

Brazilian textile entrepreneur who revolutionized women's economic participation in South America through cooperative enterprises

Elly Carvalho (1908-1975) was a visionary Brazilian businesswoman who founded the first worker-owned textile cooperative in Latin America. Born in Recife to a poor immigrant family, she began working in garment factories at 14, witnessing the exploitation of female laborers. In 1938, she pooled savings from 12 colleagues to establish Coopertex, a cooperative where workers owned 50% of shares and elected management. This model became a blueprint for labor rights across Brazil.

By 1945, the cooperative employed 300 women using looms designed by Carvalho to reduce repetitive strain injuries. Her 1952 innovation of unionized cooperative structures allowed workers to collectively bargain while retaining ownership stakes. During the 1960s military regime, she secretly trained displaced workers in artisanal textile techniques, preserving cultural heritage while providing livelihoods.

Her 1968 book 《Weaving Freedom》 inspired similar cooperatives in Argentina and Chile. Today, Coopertex remains operational with 1,200 members, and Carvalho is celebrated on Brazil's Central Bank 100-real commemorative note. The Elly Carvalho Foundation continues promoting women's economic empowerment through textile cooperatives.