Nathercia da Cunha Silveira

Nathércia da Cunha Silveira (14 March 1905 – 7 December 1993) was a Brazilian suffragist, trade unionist and lawyer. She was first woman to earn a law degree in Rio Grande do Sul, worked as Assistant Attorney General of the National Labor Council and was the first female general director of the National Department of Labor.

Early life Silveira was born on 14 March 1905 in Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Her father was Manoel da Cunha Silveira, a public prosecutor in Itaqui and a member of the Partido Libertador (Liberator Party), her mother was Maria da Conceição do Valle Cunha.

Career

Law In 1926, Silveira was the first woman to earn a law degree from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre. After graduating, Silveira practiced as a defence lawyer. In 1926, she moved to Rio de Janeiro to continue practicing law there. She was interviewed shortly after her arrival by the publication O Paiz and spoke about feminism, voting rights and education. In January 1931, Silveira and fellow lawyer and suffragist Elvira Komel met with politicians, including Oswaldo Aranha (Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs), Adolpho Bergamini (Mayor of Rio de Janeiro) and José Maria Whitaker [ pt] (Minister of the Interior) as well as Cardinal Sebastião da Silveira Cintra, to ask for their support for the cause of women's suffrage. After political disagreements with Lutz, Silveira founded the Aliança Nacional das Mulheres (National Women's Alliance). The Alliance's activities included monitoring women's working conditions, providing legal assistance, and organising a fund to support homeless women.

Marriage In 1933, Silveira married Paulo Arthur Pinto da Rocha, a doctor and member of the Brazilian Academy of Medicine, and they had a daughter together. Her husband died in 1972.