Women in motion: resilience in the face of the climate crisis and wind energy conflicts in Brazil

• Grant number: 25/27334-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: February 01, 2026
• End date: January 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Sociology - Other specific Sociologies
• Principal Investigator: Leila da Costa Ferreira
• Grantee: Lígia Amoroso Galbiati
• Host Institution: Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas (IFCH). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/00949-5 - Climate Crisis and Disasters Resilience Research Center (CLIMARES), AP.CEPID

Abstract

This project aims to investigate and raise visibility of women-led movements resisting predatory models of wind energy development in Brazil. Despite Brazil's significant renewable energy production, particularly from hydroelectric sources, the growing wind energy sector in the Northeast has generated socio-environmental conflicts. Current regulatory frameworks are perceived as inadequate, often overlooking environmental and social impacts prior to project implementation. The project will focus on documenting these impacts and conflicts, using a gender and intersectional perspective, through collaboration with affected communities and local women leaders. It seeks to integrate their experiences into the Fiocruz Conflict Map, a tool for highlighting environmental and health disputes in Brazil, and, by doing so, strengthen the capacities of women leaders in their political action processes. By amplifying these voices, the project aims to influence policy and promote a just energy transition that respects human rights and environmental sustainability. Through interdisciplinary collaboration involving academia, NGOs, and governmental bodies, the project intends to support these movements through research, advocacy, and capacity-building. By emphasizing women's leadership in environmental justice movements, the project seeks to foster gender equity in sustainable development discussions and climate action. (AU)