Fortaleza Hosts III Fórum Mulheres Mercosul-EU Highlighting Women's Leadership in International Trade
Fortaleza prepares to host the III Fórum Mulheres Mercosul-União Europeia to promote women's leadership in international trade, alongside grassroots and national female entrepreneurship initiatives.
- • The III Fórum Mulheres Mercosul-União Europeia will be held in Fortaleza on December 3, 2025, focusing on women's roles in international trade policy.
- • About 100 guests will attend panels discussing gender inclusion, impacts on women-led businesses, and roles in trade policy formulation.
- • In Salvador, the 'Blend de Sucesso' program empowers Black women entrepreneurs through decentralized training and cultural affirmation.
- • Brazil had 10.3 million women entrepreneurs in 2022, supported by networks like Clube Mulher Potência that foster resilience and sustainable business models.
- • Collective efforts highlight a growing movement toward female economic empowerment, blending international dialogue with grassroots initiatives.
Key details
On December 3, 2025, Fortaleza will host the III Fórum Mulheres Mercosul-União Europeia, a key event designed to amplify women's roles in international commerce and economic policy-making within the Brazil, Mercosul, and European Union contexts. Organized by the Clube Mulheres de Negócio em Língua Portuguesa (Clube MNLP) and conceived by Rijarda Aristóteles, the forum will gather approximately 100 attendees at the Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Ceará (FIEC), with public sessions available through registration.
The forum will feature three panels: the first, moderated by Raysa Rídia, will explore gender inclusion in the Mercosur-EU Agreement, involving figures such as Janete Vaz and Fátima Bandeira. Following that, a panel led by journalist Carla Foschini will address how international trade affects women-led businesses, with insights from Eliane Brasil and Karina Frota. The final discussion, moderated by Vera Moreno, will focus on women's participation in trade policy development, featuring Carolina Parente and Marta Campelo. Rijarda Aristóteles emphasized that the event aims to strengthen female representation in strategic economic sectors, promoting economic integration and empowering women in decision-making spaces.
Complementing this high-profile forum, grassroots initiatives across Brazil reinforce the momentum of female economic empowerment. In Salvador, for example, Black women entrepreneurs lead the 'Blend de Sucesso' program, part of the Salvador Capital Afro Festival, which decentralizes entrepreneurial training in peripheral neighborhoods like Liberdade and Itapuã. Leaders Vanessa Luz and Tuany Souza highlight the program's holistic approach that combines business skills with personal and mental well-being, cultural identity, and ongoing support.
Meanwhile, the broader landscape of women's entrepreneurship in Brazil continues to expand rapidly. Research from Sebrae shows that women-owned businesses numbered 10.3 million in 2022, making up 34.4% of formal entrepreneurs. Support networks such as the Clube Mulher Potência foster collaboration, emotional resilience, and the creation of sustainable, socially impactful enterprises. This growing trend, described as "entrepreneurship of belonging," emphasizes business rooted in identity and community, particularly notable in Mato Grosso.
Overall, these events and movements illustrate Brazil's dynamic push toward economic empowerment through women's leadership, combining international policy dialogue with community-based entrepreneurship to foster inclusive growth.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.