Sister of councilor Marielle Franco, who died in 2018, Anielle was chosen as one of the 12 women of the year by Time magazine.| Photo: Valter Campanato/Agência Brasil

The Minister of Racial Equality, Anielle Franco, was elected one of the 12 women of the year by Time magazine, according to the list published this Thursday (2). She is the sister of Councilwoman Marielle Franco (PSOL), who died in 2018 alongside driver Anderson Gomes and who had the case reopened by a task force determined by the Ministry of Justice.

According to Time’s report, Anielle stood out on this year’s list because of her activism in search of a “meaningful impact”, especially after her sister’s death.

“Now, as Minister of Racial Equality in Brazil’s new government, she is channeling her pain into action. ‘I lost my fear when they killed my sister’, says Franco. ‘Now I fight for something much bigger than myself’”, reports the publication when justifying the choice.

In a post on Twitter, Anielle Franco said she was “very proud and moved” for being “the first and only Brazilian nominated as ‘Woman of the Year’ among the twelve chosen by the North American magazine Time”.

“I am very happy and I am not alone, this recognition is not mine alone, it belongs to all black women in Brazil”, she added.