Instituto A Mulherada

Gender-based violence is pervasive in Brazil, affecting two out of every five women nationwide. 

Lawyer and activist Mônica Kalile founded Instituto A Mulherada to address this crisis in Salvador, Bahia, a city shaped by its African diaspora and generations of socio-economic inequality. The organization specifically supports Black women, trans women, and others who experience physical and psychological domestic abuse, helping them heal, reclaim their power, and rebuild their lives.

Because trauma can silence victims, A Mulherada uses the visceral power of traditional drumming and dance to give women an expressive outlet and a sense of freedom. The work also acts as cultural resistance, challenging historical gender norms that restricted street drumming to men.