Women still lack visibility in Brazilian literature

Starting in 2026, the University Foundation for the Entrance Exam (Fuvest), which is responsible for selecting students for admission to the University of São Paulo (USP), will have a compulsory reading list with works written by women authors in Portuguese. The move comes in a bid to value the role of women in literature.

When the announcement was made last year, chair of the Fuvest Board of Curators and USP vice-President Maria Arminda do Nascimento Arruda justified the decision by saying that many of these writers “have for decades been made virtually invisible simply for being women.”

In the opinion of Lella Malta, founder and coordinator of Escreva, garota! (“Go ahead and write, girl!”), a support, engagement, and training collective for women who write, female invisibility in literature is still prevalent in Brazilian society. “The erasure of women’s writing is a phenomenon that still exists,” she said in an interview with Agência Brasil during the Pelourinho International Literary Festival—or Flipelô—in Salvador, Bahia.

Lella Malta, founder and coordinator of Escreva, garota! (“Go ahead and write, girl!”) - Rovena Rosa/Agência Brasil

“We may think it’s over, but you only have to look at the shelves to see that we still read more men. The publishing market events themselves promote this. And we women have this thing about self-sabotage; we think we’re never enough. I believe we have to work on these women, these future female authors, so they have courage and more self-esteem, and are able to reach this market in a more professional way. Writing is an instrument of female empowerment, and that’s our banner in the project,” she stated.

In her view, the act of writing bears with it a great deal of symbolism and meaning for women. “Writing extends our existence. I think that’s so beautiful, the fact that we leave something for the women who come after us, as so many other women have left for us. And it also builds self-esteem. Women often find themselves working in the publishing industry—not just as writers, but sometimes as proofreaders and editors. Besides, it’s important to put forward our world view. For so long we’ve seen men talking about how we are and what we feel. But I think now it’s our turn to say, ‘Well, it’s not like that; we’re a little different from what you’ve seen,’” she added.

Pelourinho International Literary Festival—or Flipelô—in Salvador, Bahia - Rovena Rosa/Agência Brasil

During Flipelô, which ended on Sunday (Aug. 11), Escreva, garota! discussed women’s literature and promoted the work of its members. Among them is Antonia Maria da Silva, author of Sobre Ventos Passados (“On Winds Gone By”). In an interview, she said she has been writing since she was 17, adding, however, that it was only two years ago that she ventured into the literary market, with the help of her daughter, who discovered some of her writings hidden around the house.

“The freedom to write was denied to a large number of women until recently. That’s one of the difficulties [I encountered]. But my grandmother was my big source of inspiration, and today I, a black woman from Bahia with gray hair, have started in this new field,” she said. “This is a challenge we hear throughout our lives, that a woman’s place is to stay at home looking after her children and husband. In fact, I do consider myself an excellent mother, but my motherhood hasn’t stopped me from being the protagonist of my own story,” said the author from Bahia.

Antonia Maria da Silva, author of Sobre Ventos Passados (“On Winds Gone By”) - Rovena Rosa/Agência Brasil

Women’s literature is important because it gives women a voice, she went on to argue. “In the past, we were forbidden to talk, including about our feelings and our own pleasure. We had to hide everything so as not to be considered a woman of the night, a slut, someone with no value whatsoever. And the moment I feel open and have the opportunity to put my emotions out there and share my feelings and thoughts with society, I see it as a great triumph. It’s as if I were making a toast to what my ancestors started and didn’t manage to get. It’s as if I were also giving my ancestors a voice,” she said.

*The reporter and photographer traveled at the invitation of the CCR Institute, sponsor of Flipelô.