A teacher, public administrator and advocate for education and women's rights, Áurea Galdino brings to politics a career marked by a commitment to social transformation. As deputy mayor of Tracunhaém (PE), a city known as the state capital of ceramic crafts, she has dedicated herself to increasing female participation in public management and strengthening educational and inclusion policies.
“I am the daughter of a craftswoman and a potter, and I grew up in a town with a strong cultural and indigenous identity, located 67 km from Recife. My training as a teacher made me aware of the impact of politics on people’s lives. I started teaching multi-grade classes in rural areas, walking through sugarcane fields to get to school. It was there that I understood the importance of well-structured public policy,” she says.
With 29 years of experience in public service, Áurea held different positions before entering politics. She was a pedagogical coordinator, school manager and municipal secretary of education, a role she held for 12 years. She then took over the Secretariat for Women, expanding her commitment to policies to combat gender-based violence.
“Education has always been my main cause, but during my career I realized the need to also strengthen women’s issues. Many women face cycles of violence that go beyond physical violence, including emotional, psychological and institutional violence,” she says.
Challenges and strategies for the new management
From the beginning of her role as deputy mayor, Áurea had to break down barriers. “There is a culture in small towns that the deputy mayor has little visibility and influence. At first, I faced resistance to taking my place in the administration. Furthermore, being a woman made this challenge even greater,” she recalls.
In light of this scenario, she adopted the participatory mandate strategy, creating the 'Vice-Mayor Present' project, with direct actions in the communities. “If there was no room to contribute, I went to the population. I started visiting the neighborhoods personally, listening to demands and demanding solutions. If the street lighting was poor, I would go there, report the problem and forward it to the responsible department. If the garbage collection was failing, I would make a formal demand. This strengthened the ties between the administration and the population and showed that a vice mayor can, indeed, play an active role”, she explained.
Another area of work was strengthening female entrepreneurship, connecting women's associations and promoting professional training courses. "I encouraged women to develop productive skills and achieve financial independence. In addition, we promoted projects aimed at young people, since Tracunhaém has more than 4,000 young people and, until now, there had been no specific public policy for this group," she points out.
Education as transformation
Áurea’s career at the Department of Education revolutionized the city’s indicators. “Tracunhaém was in last place in the Basic Education Development Index (IDEB) of Zona da Mata. After years of working together with teachers and administrators, we reached first place in the region,” celebrates Áurea.
The secret to this progress was strategic planning, ongoing teacher training and the definition of clear goals. “We introduced a new educational culture in the city, based on results and valuing professionals. Now, as deputy mayor, my commitment is to continue contributing to ensure that education continues to be a tool for social transformation,” emphasizes Áurea.
