Lídice da Mata

Lídice da Mata e Souza was born on March 12, 1956 , in Cachoeira (BA) . An economist graduated from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), she began her political career in the student movement, becoming the first woman to preside over the Central Student Directory of UFBA in 1980. She was the first elected female mayor of Salvador , in 1992, leading important initiatives such as the social program "Fundação Cidade Mãe" (Mother City Foundation).

Political career

Lídice da Mata was elected to the Constituent Assembly in 1986, becoming part of the emblematic "lipstick caucus" in the drafting of the 1988 Constitution, with a decisive role in the approval of amendments in favor of legal equality. At the state level, she served two terms as a state representative in Bahia and, at the federal level, she was a representative from 2007–2011, a senator from 2011–2019, being the first woman elected to the Senate for Bahia , and returned to the House of Representatives in 2019 to serve her fourth consecutive term (2019–2027).

In the Senate, she chaired the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into the Murders of Young People in Brazil and was the rapporteur for the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into National and International Trafficking in Persons, in addition to serving on special committees such as the one for the reform of the Penal Code and the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into Fake News. In the House of Representatives, she chaired the Tourism and Sports Committee and served as Deputy Attorney General for Women and rapporteur for the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into Fake News.

Performance in the National Congress

Lídice da Mata has a solid and multifaceted career in the House of Representatives. She was chosen to serve on the CCJC , the most influential committee in the House, and acts as an alternate member on issues such as Education and Culture. Currently, she chairs the Committee for the Defense of the Rights of the Elderly , reaffirming her commitment to social and inclusion agendas.

She currently holds the position of Deputy Leader of the Government and coordinates the Bahia Caucus in the House of Representatives. In her career as a federal deputy, she has authored or been the rapporteur for relevant laws, such as the Mariana Ferrer Law (Law 14.245/2021), which aims to protect victims and witnesses of sexual crimes from harassment in trials, and projects aimed at expanding the rights of women, children, and adolescents, in addition to initiatives in the cultural and tourism sectors.