Rodrigo Tadeu Guimaraes Jales
২৪ অক্টো, ২০২৫
Session summary
In Brazil, being Black, transgender and poor is not just a marker of identity, it is a death sentence. This session delves into the harrowing realities faced by Black trans and gender-diverse individuals, who bear the brunt of systemic violence, social exclusion, and political regression. Drawing from my research with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and leading scholars in intersectionality, we will explore how overlapping structures of oppression, race, gender identity, and economic marginalization create uniquely lethal conditions for this community. Trans people in Brazil face the highest murder rates in the world, with Black trans women disproportionately targeted. Beyond physical violence, institutional barriers such as lack of legal recognition, exclusion from healthcare, and employment discrimination ensure that many remain trapped in cycles of poverty and exploitation and the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, combined with Brazil’s colonial and racial vulnerabilities. This session will challenge participants to rethink human rights protections beyond a single-axis framework, urging an intersectional approach that acknowledges race, class, and gender as inseparable. Through case studies, personal narratives and an analysis of international human rights mechanisms, we will uncover the structural factors that sustain this crisis and, more importantly, how we can push for systemic change.
Biography
Rodrigo Tadeu Guimares Jales is a Brazilian legal researcher, human rights advocate, and international policy expert. He has worked with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and contributed to landmark reports on intersectionality for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). A graduate of University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Rodrigo specializes in international human rights law, migration, and gender justice. His work bridges academic research and grassroots activism, focusing on how racial, gender and socio-economic disparities shape access to justice. He is the founder of Iluminados, a social project providing language education to marginalized communities in Brazil, and has been involved in global advocacy campaigns for LGBTQ+ and racial justice. Rodrigo is also a Salzburg Global Fellow, where he contributes to discussions on inclusive democracy and policy innovation. Fluent in five languages, he is committed to drive systemic change.
