Titula da Silva

Pioneering Brazilian feminist leader who secured voting rights for women

Titula da Silva (1895-1972) was a Brazilian educator and suffragist whose relentless advocacy laid the groundwork for Brazil's 1932 women's suffrage law. Born in Rio de Janeiro to a working-class family, she defied societal expectations by completing a teacher's college and later founding the first girls' vocational school in São Paulo. Her 1920s newspaper column exposed gender inequalities, reaching over 500,000 readers through partnerships with labor unions.

Da Silva's 1930 cross-country speaking tour convinced 12 state legislatures to support federal voting rights. She pioneered intersectional approaches, establishing literacy programs for Afro-Brazilian women and collaborating with union leaders to link voting rights to labor protections. Her 1945 book Women's Work: The Foundation of Democracy became a blueprint for Latin American feminist movements. Despite facing arrest during Getúlio Vargas' dictatorship, she continued organizing through underground networks. Her legacy is honored today by the Titula da Silva Institute which trains female political candidates across South America.