Rio State Creates Women and Inclusion Secretariat, Taps Bia Pacheco to Lead

Overview

• Acting governor Ricardo Couto formalized the new Women and Inclusion Secretariat by decree, published Monday in the state’s official gazette.
• The ministry now manages all inclusion-related contracts and partnerships that sat in the Casa Civil, centralizing oversight and coordination with city governments.
• Existing services stay in place, including Projeto Empoderadas to aid women facing violence, inclusive sports programs, therapeutic community support, and the teen employment program PTPA.
• Bianca ‘Bia’ Pacheco was appointed to lead the portfolio, drawing on two decades in disability inclusion and training in pedagogy and neuropsychology.
• O Globo frames the pick as a nod to the state audit court, noting her ties to the TCE-RJ and placing it within a shake-up that has replaced about a third of top posts.