Citizenship Caravan strengthens access to rights and serves over 15,000 women in Pará
An initiative by the State Secretariat for Women advances through the interior of the State, offering documentation, essential services, opportunities for inclusion, and autonomy
After years of trying, Maria Milene Silva, a resident of Viseu (northeast Pará), managed to obtain her brother's identity document, who is neurodivergent. She is one of more than 15,000 women from Pará served so far by the Citizenship Caravan, carried out by the State Secretariat for Women (Semu).
"I was very happy with the opportunity because he never had a document, only the birth certificate. I had tried in other places, and I never had a solution. This action of the Citizenship Caravan is a blessing, a great achievement," says Maria.
The Semu's action started this year and has already passed through ten municipalities – Santa Maria do Pará, Santa Izabel do Pará, Paragominas, Bujaru, Cametá, Barcarena, São João de Pirabas, Nova Esperança do Piriá, São Miguel do Guamá, and Viseu.
The State Secretary for Women, Paula Gomes, emphasizes that the Caravan seeks to bring the State closer to women in their territories, strengthening access to rights. "More than numbers, the Caravan reaffirms our commitment to reach every corner of Pará, bringing inclusion, care, and opportunities so that women can live with more security, dignity, independence, and access to their rights," says the head of Semu.
Decentralization - The main objective of the Caravan, according to the coordinator of the Economic Autonomy and Cross-Cutting Policies Directorate of Semu, Lya Marianna Gomes, is to decentralize access to services and public policies and ensure that residents of the most distant regions from the capital, in situations of social vulnerability, have access to basic rights, through the strengthening of social inclusion and gender equality.
"The expansion of the opportunity for access to documents and basic rights for these women, in addition to strengthening citizenship and empowerment, are focuses of the Caravan. The initiative has been fulfilling its role of bringing citizenship, documents, and rights to those who need it most, correcting historical inequalities of access due to geography, social vulnerability, and lack of infrastructure. With the balance of services provided, it is evident that the program has a scale of reach and real social impact," assures Lya Gomes.
Services - Among the essential services offered are: 2nd copy of birth, marriage, and death certificates; 1st and 2nd copies and changes of CPF; issuance of Identity Card; digital services, such as Digital CTPS, 2nd copy of CPF, registration regularization, 2nd copy of the voter registration card, issuance of the Sinpatinhas Card (Pet ID), SUS Card, and Senior Citizen Card, in addition to eyebrow design and gel nail workshops, hair cutting workshops, and educational lectures on the Maria da Penha Law.
Érica Silva took advantage of the Caravan's arrival in Barcarena to regularize her CPF. "I had been trying for a long time and couldn't issue the document. I saw the announcement of the Caravan's services on social media and made a point of participating in the action. These initiatives are very important because they help people who are trying to access services," she emphasizes.
The action is part of the strategy of the State Secretariat for Women within the Citizenship, Justice, and Human Rights Program, which works to expand the population's access, especially women in vulnerable situations, to public policies and services of the Government of Pará.
Entrepreneurship - Hélvia Martins, a resident of Barcarena (Metropolitan Region of Belém), took the gel nail workshop, which is part of the Caravan's services aimed at entrepreneurship. "This action is very interesting because it opens our minds and doors for those who participate, in addition to the opportunity to obtain documents. It is very practical and quick," says Hélvia.
A resident of Vila Areião, in Cametá (northeast), Karen Caldas participated in the eyebrow design workshop. "I had already taken a basic course, and I was interested in participating in this initiative to specialize more in the area, which I already work in. I have a studio in the Vila and wanted to deepen my knowledge," she points out.
The hair cutting course is one of the most sought after during the action. Letícia Matias, a resident of Viseu, participated in the initiative and highlighted the exchange of knowledge. "I learned new hair cutting techniques and was able to improve my skills. I loved the course and want to take advantage of all the learning to apply it in my daily life," says Letícia.
