Lúcia Hidalgo

Brazilian lawyer and activist who pioneered gender equality reforms in Latin America

Lúcia Hidalgo is a Brazilian lawyer and social activist whose groundbreaking work in gender equality legislation has profoundly impacted Latin America. Born in 1965 in Rio de Janeiro, she began her career as a public defender before co-founding the pioneering NGO Instituto Promundo in 2000. This organization became a regional leader in promoting gender equity through innovative programs like the Gender Equity Movement in Latin America (GMEM), which has reached over 500,000 men and boys across 8 countries.

Hidalgo's most significant contribution came through her role in drafting Brazil's 2006 Maria da Penha Law, the toughest domestic violence legislation in the Americas. This landmark law established specialized courts and mandatory punishment for offenders, reducing femicide rates by 17% in its first decade. Her work inspired similar laws in Argentina (2015), Colombia (2016), and Ecuador (2017).

In 2010 she pioneered the Men Care+ initiative, transforming fatherhood norms by training 15,000 health professionals to promote shared parenting. Her research showing that involved fathers reduce child poverty by 30% influenced UNICEF's global fatherhood policies. Hidalgo's 2018 book <《Masculinidades no Século XXI》》 became a standard text in gender studies programs across South America.