Daring Women Who Are Shaking Up The World

Marielle Franco was a gay Brazilian politician, feminist, and human rights activist who was assassinated this year for her political work. She was shot and killed in March after leaving a black-women’s empowerment event, but her murder sparked tens of thousands of Brazilians to march in protest and spread her name and legacy around the world.

Born in the Maré favela, one of Rio’s most dangerous slums, Franco was the only black woman on Rio's city counsel. A fierce activist for women, the impoverished, the LGBTQ community, and Afro-Brazilians, she was seen as a radical.

She was also known for openly condemning the President for the killings of black youth by military forces patrolling the streets of Rio (which he instated,) and the police impunity that came with those killings. 

She was unafraid to stand up for what was right, no matter the consequences.