Exhibition honors the trajectory of women in health

The exhibition Dona Ivone Lara and Women in Health, opened this Tuesday (23), at the Ministry of Health, in Brasília, aims to highlight the legacy of important female trajectories for the construction of public health in Brazil. During the event, the Dona Ivone Lara Cultural Space, Rio samba singer, nurse and former servant of the ministry, was also launched.

The Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, inaugurates the Dona Ivone Lara Cultural Space. The exhibition portrays the singer’s life, with tributes and recognition of the legacy of women in healthcare. Photograph: Jose Cruz/ Agência Brasil

Structured like a samba school parade, the exhibition presents the origins and family environment of Ivone Lara’s health journey and musical career, focusing on compositions, partnerships and participation in the Império Serrano group, a samba school in Rio de Janeiro. January. The samba singer dedicated 37 years of her life in defense of humanized treatments in psychiatric services.

Another 10 black, white and indigenous women whose trajectories marked the history of Brazilian public health were also honored, including nurses Wanda Horta, Roseni Rosangela de Sena, Anna Nery, Simone Maria Leite Batista, Isabel dos Santos and doctor Fatima Oliveira .

In May, the exhibition will have a second stage, which will celebrate the trajectory of living and active women.

Who was Ivone Lara

Sambista Done Ivone Lara dedicated 37 years of her life in defense of humanized treatments in psychiatric services. Photo: Ivone Lara Collection/Disclosure

The first Brazilian woman to sign a samba-enredo, Ivone Lara (photo) was a nurse by training and worked as a servant at the Ministry of Health for 37 years, during which time she specialized as an occupational therapist and fought for the humanization of psychiatric treatment. At the Engenho de Dentro Institute of Psychiatry, in Rio de Janeiro, she was a pioneer in offering a musical approach to treating and welcoming patients.

In 2024, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sanctioned a law creating National Women’s Sambista Day, celebrated on April 13th – the date of birth of Ivone Lara da Costa, the composer’s given name. She died in 2018 at age 96.