Anielle Franco

Anielle Franco is the current Minister of Racial Equality in Brazil's government. She is also the sister of Marielle Franco, a Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman and activist who was murdered in 2018. Anielle Franco is newsworthy due to two recent developments. First, the politicians who ordered her sister's murder have been convicted and sentenced to over 76 years in prison. This brings a degree of closure to a case that exposed deep ties between politics and organized crime in Rio de Janeiro. Second, Anielle Franco is allegedly the victim of sexual harassment by Silvio Almeida, the former Minister of Human Rights. The Attorney General has formally accused Almeida of sexual harassment against Franco. These events highlight the ongoing struggles against violence and discrimination in Brazil, and the challenges faced by women in positions of power.