Semayat Oliveira discusses women and Brazil’s urban peripheries at ICCI event

At the “Brazilian Audiences” event hosted by ICCI, journalist and writer Semayat Oliveira joined the panel “Who speaks, who listens: women and Brazil’s urban peripheries.” Moderated by Jheniffer Ribeiro, ICCI’s programmatic coordinator, the conversation drew on Semayat’s experience building and reshaping key initiatives in Brazil’s communications field, including Nós, Mulheres da Periferia, Mano a Mano, and Geledés, as she shared insights on building audiences rooted in place, identity, and lived experience.

She spoke about how Black audiences, especially young people, are increasingly engaging with ideas that push back against being seen as “victims,”posing new challenges for those trying to engage these groups around feminist and anti-racist communication.

“Even so, many men have come to see this as an opportunity to rethink themselves,” she said. “I don’t think it will happen quickly or stop more women from dying right now. But it may help lead to different outcomes in the future. At Geledés, we’ve been thinking a lot about how to bring this conversation to men.”

The panel pointed to the need to recognize women, particularly those from Brazil’s urban peripheries, not just as audiences, but as agents shaping, organizing, and transforming communication.

Based on their experiences, Semayat highlighted how these women challenge traditional models and offer more grounded approaches that are better aligned with the country’s social, cultural, and political realities.

Read more about the “Brazilian Audiences” event here.

Photos by Pyetra Salles.