Maria do Rosário

Maria do Rosário Nunes is a professor, holds a doctorate in Political Science from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), and is a federal deputy for Rio Grande do Sul representing the Workers' Party (PT ), currently serving her sixth term in the House of Representatives (2003–2027) . Before reaching the National Congress, she began her political career in student and union activism while working as a public school teacher and served as a city councilor in Porto Alegre , being the youngest parliamentarian elected at the time and re-elected with the most votes in the city. She also served as a state deputy in Rio Grande do Sul and as Minister of the Secretariat of Human Rights of the Presidency of the Republic during the government of President Dilma Rousseff, consolidating her work in defense of education, human rights, and social equality.

Political Career

In her institutional political career, Maria do Rosário holds prominent positions in the National Congress and within her party. She was elected 2nd Secretary of the Board of Directors of the House of Representatives for the 2023–2025 term, being the only woman on the Board and contributing to strengthening the House of Representatives's dialogue with civil society. Currently, she serves as Deputy Majority Leader in the House of Representatives and of the Brazil Federation of Hope , in addition to being a member of important committees such as the Constitution and Justice and Citizenship Committee and external committees on floods in Rio Grande do Sul and femicides that occurred in the state . Her institutional work also includes participation in working groups on the protection of children and adolescents in the digital environment and alternate members of boards related to education and technology.

Performance in the House of Representatives

In her legislative work, Maria do Rosário has a history of proposals aligned with her causes of human rights, education, and social protection. Among the projects she has presented are Bill 1655/2022 , which establishes National Guidelines for Human Rights Education (HRE) in education systems; Bill 4023/2025 , which establishes the National Policy for Hip Hop Culture as cultural heritage and a vector of social inclusion; Bill 1283/2024 , which guarantees free access to justice for people registered in the Unified Registry for Social Programs (CadÚnico) ; Bill 2769/2025 , which includes representatives of community health agents on Health Councils; and Bill 5745/2025 , which establishes the National Policy on Unconventional Food Plants (PONAPANC) . He also presented projects such as Bill 1281/2024 to incorporate child development screening tests into health booklets and Bill 1617/2024 to create a national program for comprehensive protection in situations of risk and disaster. These proposals demonstrate his consistent work in defending educational, social, cultural, and inclusion rights.