The five percent difference

This week Lieutenant Colonel Sayonara do Valle will leave her post as head of Rio de Janeiro’s Colégio Militar (Military School) to become the commander of the Fifth Battalion of the Military Police force of the state of Rio de Janeiro. As head of the Harmonia battalion (as the military police precincts are called) do Valle will be responsible for policing Rio de Janeiro areas of Saúde, Gamboa, and Santo Cristo, that includes key areas for the city such as the Central do Brasil (main train station in Rio) the docks and Praça Mauá, that is home to the Navy dockyards, the federal police headquarters and bus terminal. Sayonara do Valle will command approximately 300 police officers, practically an all male force. How does she feel? “It is just another challenge,” she said, quite naturally.

Before being director of the Colégio Militar, the lieutenant colonel had commanded the precincts of Magé and Itaboraí, both cities in the interior of the state. “I have had a little bit of practice,” adds do Valle, modestly.

Sayonara do Valle (right) is not intimidated with the prospect of commanding men. She even recalls the time when there were jokes about women in the corporation, but she guarantees that it is rare nowadays. She notes that, in the '80s when something went wrong some men would quickly put the blame on women using a nickname that came out of the registration forms female officers filled. “It has become so normal and run-of-the-mill nowadays to be a woman in the police force, that we feel no difference. We are all professionals working for a better society,” said Lieutenant Colonel do Valle.

The Rio de Janeiro Military Police opened its doors to women 28 years ago. There are currently 2,055 women in the corporation, that is about 5,4% of a total force of 37,937 officers. To this day, only two women rose to the post of colonel. One of them is Colonel Edith Bonfadini, who was promoted in December, and is the commander of the 13th Military Police Batallion, Praça Tiradentes, the precinct with the best results in lowering crime rate. She has been cited by the the PMERJ Commander General Colonel Mário Sérgio de Brito Duarte as an example of success.

“Women are very zealous, attentive and capable, and they have qualities that make them move easily across various operational areas. It is very clear to us that they are great motivators,” said Duarte.

In Colonel Duarte’s view, gone are the days when women were only considered fit for deskwork at the PMERJ. “With the exception of only a few positions related to armed confrontations and force – such as some swat type missions of the batalhão de choque and the Bope – all positions are open to women” said the Colonel who is married to a military police officer, and who says it helps him understand the point of view of women in the corporation.

Women in neighborhood policing

Colonel Duarte points out that women bring a unique contribution to the UPPs, Rio de Janeiro’s Pacifying Police Units (Unidades de Polícia Pacificadora). “One of the characteristics of the UPPs is neighborhood policing, and women have the appropriate emotional intelligence to deal with, for example, the children in the community. There will certainly be more women heading UPPs,” said the colonel.

Police captains Pricilla de Oliveira Azevedo and Rosana Alves respectively command recently inaugurated pacification units, the UPPs, Unidades de Polícia Pacificadora, at the shantytowns of Santa Marta and Tabajaras, both in hills in Rio de Janeiro. Each woman has 120 men under their command and both say they feel nothing changes because they are women.

Photo: Rio de Janeiro State Security Secretary Beltrame with Captain Rosana Alves at a UPP

According to Captain Rosana Alves, when people show surprise at her position, it is not the members of her force, but people in the community she serves. Even so, she guarantees, she is not discriminated in any way, quite to the contrary. “As a woman, I get much closer to the community. People feel freer to talk about their problems, such as for example, domestic violence,” said the captain, as she exchanges warm greetings with passersby.

Alves and Azevedo are responsible for community policing in favelas (shantytowns) that were previously pacified by the Bope for the creation of the UPPs. In Alves' view, being a woman helps in community policing but it is not a requirement. “Men who work here are also sensitive to their environment. We all want do our work without sacrificing our sensitivity,” said the captain, who says she is fulfilled in her work.

According to Azevedo, gender does not create any differences in the Military Police, but since women are still a novelty in the institution, they have to careful about making themselves respected. “We graduate from an academy made up in the majority by men. After that, the battalions (precincts) are 95% made up of men. So after a while, we start thinking it is only natural that we are a minority. It is perhaps not quite the same from the point of view of men… I can only imagine what the first women went through, because if men are chauvinist in general, what would one expect from an institution where they have been the majority for the past 200 years?” said Azevedo.

In Azevedo’s view, the new troops find it easier nowadays to be subordinated to a woman, while those with over 30 years in the corporation, who saw the first women join the force, may possibly have a different opinion. “But I never ran into trouble with anyone,” she said.

Azevedo (right) notes that women are raised very differently from childhood, are more sheltered, and that working in the police is an opportunity to learn a great deal. “Working at the police we accumulate a lot of life experience, since we spend most of our time dealing with problems. We also learn a lot about evil, we see what human beings are capable of. Police work changes you a lot, it moulds you, transforms you, but you also hold on to things you learned in your previous experience,” said Azevedo.

Azevedo said she is treated with special warmth by mothers and grandmothers in the community. “They see me as an example of the fact that any woman can work in any type of activity. It is just a question of wanting to do it,” said the captain.

The captain said she is comfortable with her post as a commander, “especially because I get to boss men,” she adds, playfully. Azevedo is currently engaged and will marry soon. But, she says that in her relationship, he is the boss. “I like the idea of a male head of the family, that the woman respects, which does not mean she does not have an opinion,” said the captain.

On the week of the International Woman's Day, Captain Azevedo leaves this message: “We are all of us capable, we are capable enough to perform any profession. Do not give up.” Captain Alves also chose to encourage women who would like to enter male professions. “Have the courage to overcome obstacles, you will only respect the boundaries you yourself dictate.”

In Portuguese the word captain, capitão, does not vary according to gender, it is male even if the post is held by a female. But this has not however stopped people from changing the word to fit the lady. And since practice makes perfect, on women’s day, congratulations capitãs!

Translated by Lis Horta Moriconi