Born in Campinas de Pirajá, in Salvador, Bahia (BA), Isabela Sousa found in institutional politics and community actions a path to social transformation. The RenovaBR Alumni is currently a Councilwoman of Salvador and founder of Isabela Sousa Cultural Center, aimed at democratizing access to education, sport and leisure for children and young people on the outskirts of the region. 

The opportunity to work in politics arose when he was still young, when he realized that the inequalities he was experiencing were undermining his dreams and making it challenging to broaden his horizons. 

Isabela calls herself “a native of Campinas, Marechal, Boa Vista and Cabrito”, a region where she began working at the age of 14, selling clothes in a local shop, with the intention of helping her parents, Lindoval, a driver, and Neuza, a hairdresser. At the time, as the councilwoman herself shares, her greatest dream in life was to travel by plane, as that seemed to be the furthest thing she could achieve. 

The trajectory of this story changed when, as a student at Sesi, in 2014, she had the opportunity to join the Brazilian Youth Parliament, a simulation of the National Congress for students. It was from this unlikely experience in Brasília that Isabela recognized the importance of politics in practice and, above all, that it is only capable of transformation when occupied by those who experience real problems on a daily basis. 

The parliamentarian was the first in her family to attend a public university. In 2015, she enrolled in the Law course at UNEB and began her student involvement, fighting for improvements for students and carrying out social actions. 

Participation in RenovaBR

The councilwoman's relationship with RenovaBR began with her search for new knowledge to empower her as an agenda for social change. A leader formed in 2022, Isabela also became the leader of RAPS, a network formed by people who aim to transform Brazilian politics. 

It was through her experience with RenovaBR that the Isabela Sousa Institute emerged, an initiative created for Renovar Day, an activity focused on impactful actions in the students' communities. 

Initially conceived as a residents' association to meet local demands, the main need identified was the lack of a physical space for community mobilization. With the involvement of the population, the space became a reality and was inaugurated in 2022.

The Institute has a direct and ongoing impact on the lives of around 300 children and teenagers, offering activities such as tutoring and sports, as well as promoting specific actions with the community, such as health campaigns and legal advice. The success of the initiative is evident in its expansion to other neighborhoods in the city, demonstrating an increase in the initial impact.

Acting as councilor

In July 2022, Isabela Sousa became the youngest councilor in Salvador, when she took office in the City Council, occupying the seat left by councilor Joceval Rodrigues (Cidadania), who took leave to assume the mandate of federal deputy, in Brasília. 

In just over 100 days in office, the councilwoman has already approved several bills, such as the creation of a loss and damage fund for victims of climate disasters, the creation of LGBTQIA+ patrols in the municipal guard, the installation of a panic button for women on public transport, and psychological support for mothers who suffer pregnancy and neonatal loss. Furthermore, a bill is currently under consideration that requires gender parity in high-ranking municipal positions. 

In addition to leading the Institute that bears her name, Isabela Sousa conceived, during her term, the project They Lead, an initiative that aims to train and educate female community leaders, as well as connect them as a support network, strengthen their voices and expand their opportunities. 

Isabela Sousa's trajectory highlights how women's power of transformation manifests itself both inside and outside institutional politics. As head of the Institute that bears her name, she promotes community actions rooted in the territory; through the project They Lead, puts her mandate at the service of training new female leaders. Stories like hers show what happens when women access spaces of power and use them to strengthen networks, expand opportunities and transform realities.