What does it mean to be a woman!

In the weekend of May 29 and 30 Rede Nami – Fesminist Urban Art Network – was launched in Rio de Janeiro, showing amazing potential and collective ideas of women concerned about the organization of our society. The launch consisted of one day capacity building training of the first group of women with a seminar about feminism and women in art, and a second day with a big graffiti event held in the community of Morro do Queto.

On Saturday the 29th a group of women and girls from all over Rio de Janeiro joined for the first meeting and launch of Rede Nami in the State Centre for Women’s Rights, CEDIM to get to know more about the essence of feminism and debate about the situation many women have to cope with in Brazil. Many lessons where learnt about Brazilian culture and how it puts women in a stereotypical role until today, and what role women play forming that stereotype through the education of their own children.

Right! That’s how the first group of women who will generate action from within the network was born.

The exchange of ideas during the session was a unique experience in which the invitees Shuma Shumaher, feminist of the first generation in Brazil, Rogéria Peixinho and Lúcia Avancini, also active as a feminist artist from the early seventies until today, took the participants of the seminar on an adventurous journey discovering what it means to be a woman, the woman represented in art and to be a female artist in the 21st century.

The biggest challenge was to discover in the discussion about feminism, what feminism actually is.

One of the conclusions of the day was that Rede Nami is a network that politicizes and valorizes women; women in general and in particular women active in the urban art scene.

On Sunday May 30th, the group that participated in the training, painted a huge mural in the community of Morro do Queto; part of a graffiti jam in which male writers where more than welcome as well. Rede Nami doesn’t want to exclude men from their activities, but it believes to be necessary to prioritize women active in the scene and create awareness amongst men as well. The theme of the jam was “valorizing women” and even the guys that came to paint with the girls, did their utmost best to show their respect for the women in their graffiti.

The event was realized with the support of Projeto Queto. The girls of the community of Morro do Queto got introduced to the ideologies of the network. In the discussion with Renata Reis about domestic violence, many girls of the community had never thought about their position as women and existing laws about domestic violence. At first they felt a bit strange to talk about such taboos, but after a while the group opened up and started freely sharing experiences and doubts.

With the assistance of Thaynara and Poronga everybody could print the NAMI logo on their shirt in the silk screen atelier of Projeto Queto, while DJ Tuca took the lead over the sound system rocking with the latest Hip Hop favorites and Funk “das antigas”. Comando Selva’s newest female MC Yasmin took over the mic a bit later and introduced the MC Battle to be held. MC’s from all over Rio de Janeiro participated and did their freestyle spitting on the given themes about women.

And if that wasn’t all enough, the spontaneous invitation for the children of the community to paint together with the graffiti writers caused a real painting-chaos-party for the kids! Paint and pencils flew all over and many kids might have gotten inspired to get involved in artistic activities with Projeto Queto soon!

It was a beautiful start of a new and strong movement.

See our photogallery for more pictures.
More info: http://www.redenami.com