Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo

KEYWORDS/TAGS: Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Prime Minister, Ethics of Care

SHE THOUGHT IT

Maria de Lourdes Ruivo da Silva de Matos Pintasilgo was a chemical and industrial engineer and the first and only woman to hold the position of Prime Minister in Portugal (and the second in Europe). In 1971, she was a member of the Portuguese Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly, intervening in regard to the condition of women and in defense of a nation’s right to self-determination. After the Carnation Revolution (25^thof April 1974), she was nominated as Secretary of Social Security in the Provisional Government, and Minister of Social Affairs in the II and III Provisional Governments. During this time, she was responsible for the creation of the Commission on Women’s Status. In the 1980s and 1990s, she led important national and international committees for the defense of gender equality and women’s rights, including the United Nations University’s World Institute for Economic Research (WIDER/UNU) and the Committee for Gender Equality and Citizenry. Together with Teresa Santa Clara Gomes, she established the Graal movement in Portugal, dedicating herself to social and cultural activities. In 2001, she was responsible for the creation of the Care for the Future Foundation, holding the position of president of this institution until her death, in 2004.

She was also a pioneer in the development of the “ethics of care” concept in Portugal, and her line of thought can even be placed in the broader realm of ecofeminism. She went against conventionally established social roles that relegate women to the private sphere while encouraging men to dominate the public sphere by questioning the political practices of a patriarchal system¹. She challenged and pushed those limits not only in regard to her ideals, but also through her actions, becoming the first woman in a variety of different traditionally men-only positions in the governmental and administrative domains. In this sense, she was a pioneer in a variety of activities that were usually seen as exclusive to men: in 1954, she became the first woman to be named Head of Service in the Department of Studies and Projects of CUF (Companhia União Fabril), and, in 1975, she became the first Portuguese female ambassador, appointed to UNESCO as the Portuguese Permanent Delegate. In 1986, she would become the first Portuguese woman to ran for the nation’s presidency.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo                   Credit: Gerrits, Roland / Anefo

Born in the Portuguese city of Abrantes on January 18th, 1930, Maria de Lourdes Ruivo da Silva de Matos Pintasilgo would become the first and only female Prime Minister of Portugal. Her father, Jaime de Matos Pintasilgo, was a wool merchant and her mother, Amélia do Carmo Ruivo da Silva Matos Pintasilgo, a housewife. She moved with her family to Lisbon in 1937, where she attended Colégio Garret and, later on, Liceu Filipa de Lencastre. During this time, she distinguished herself within the movement Mocidade Portuguesa Feminina and received the National Prize twice.

In 1946, she attended the IST (Instituto Superior Técnico) in Lisbon, being one of only three women enrolled in the Industrial Chemistry Engineering degree². In that same year, she joined the JUCF (Juventude Universitária Católica Feminina – Female Catholic University Youth). Later on, she held the position of chairwoman of this institution, from 1952 to 1956. She graduated from the IST in 1953 and started an internship at the national Nuclear Energy Board. In the following year, she became Head of Service in the Department of Studies and Projects at CUF (Companhia União Fabril), becoming the first female engineer in that company³. From 1956 to 1958, she presided over the Pax Romana – International Movement of Catholic Students.

After joining the Graal movement in 1957 (a Christian movement of women from different continents, ethnicities and cultures⁴), Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo decided to abdicate from her professional career and dedicate herself to social and cultural work⁵. Together with Teresa Santa Clara Gomes (1936-1996), she established the Graal movement in Portugal, holding the position of international vice-president from 1964 to 1969.

In 1969, she assumed the post of Procuradora à Câmara Corporativa(Corporative Chamber Prosecutor) in the X and XI Legislatures during the “Estado Novo” (the Portuguese dictatorship regime also known as the Second Republic), where she remained until 1974. Later on, Pintasilgo would consider her work during this period fundamental in order to clarify her options, as they were mostly in opposition to the ones shared by her colleagues⁶.

Until 1974, she would be involved in a variety of different activities in defense of women’s rights, including presiding the Grupo de Trabalho para a Participação da Mulher na Vida Económicae Social (Working Group on Women’s Participation in Economic and Social Life), which was responsible for the first comprehensive survey of the discriminations suffered by women in the scope of public and private law. Under Pintasilgo’s leadership, this group was also responsible for proposing important changes in the legislation regarding family and labourlaw. With respect to her work at the Grupo de Trabalho para a Participação da Mulher na Vida Económicae Social, she would assert that what was at issue was the question of equality of opportunities between women and men⁷, something she defended throughout her life. She was also appointed chairwoman of the Comissão para a Política Social relativa à Mulher(Commission for Social Policy on Women).

In 1971, she was a member of the Portuguese Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly, intervening in regard to the condition of women and in defense of a nation’s right to self-determination and religious freedom. She also tried to find a solution to end the Portuguese Colonial War (1961-1974).

With the Carnation Revolution (25th April 1974), she was nominated Secretary of Social Security in the Provisional Government and Minister of Social Affairs in the II and III Provisional Governments, creating the Comissão da Condição Feminina (Commission of the Female Condition).

After leaving her position in the government, Maria da Lourdes Pintasilgo was named the Portuguese Permanent Delegate at UNESCO, becoming the first Portuguese woman to assume the position of ambassador. She remained in this position until 1979, when she assumed the post of head of the V Constitutional Government, becoming the first woman to hold the position of Prime Minister in Portugal and the second in Europe.

Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo

From 1980 to 1986, she was concerned with the creation of a female network with the goal of stimulating female participation in social activities and with the enhancing of Democracy after the Revolution of April 25^th. During this time, she became a member of the Board of Directors of the New York School of Social Research’s World Policy Institute (1982) and of the United Nations University Council. She was also a member of the Europe Foundation – Latin America, the Club of Roma, the Pax Christi, and the Sisterhood is Global Institute (New York), which she would become chairwoman of, in 1994. In 1986, she became the first Portuguese woman to run for Presidential Elections.

In the following years years, Pintasilgo would be a member of different Councils and Committees concerned with the expansion and maintenance of Democracy, the defense of women’s rights, and global development, such as the United Nations Science and Technology Council (1989-1991), the OECD Group of Experts on Structural Change and Women’s Employment (1990-1991), the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on “Equality and Democracy” (1991-1994), the Council of Women World Leaders (1998), and the National Council of Ethics for Life Sciences (1991-2002). From 1993 to 1998, she led the Board of Directors of the United Nations University’s World Institute for Economic Research (WIDER/UNU).

In 2001, Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo was responsible for the establishment of the Fundação Cuidar o Futuro, an institution inspired by the concept of the “ethics of care”. She led the foundation until the year of her death, 2004.

SHE SAID IT

Without going into all the avenues provided by anthropological and sociological analysis of such phenomenon, it can be said today with stronger emphasis that women do affect the life of their communities, are able to question their values and to introduce new challenges.

While in the past their role was conceived as the stabilizing element, “le repos du guerrier” of a masculine-shaped society, today it is possible to say that women are and can be instrumental in social change.

Statement before the 3rd Committee on ECOSOC report, Chap. XIV, Sec A “Report of the Commission on the Status of Women”, 08 Nov. 1972.

On a less practical level, I would like to express a personal hope: that the contribution of women in society may become less hampered by prejudices, images, roles and that together with men they may be able to build society in a new way where justice and peace will go hand-in-hand.

Statement before the 3rd Committee on ECOSOC report, Chap. XIV, Sec A “Report of the Commission on the Status of Women”, 08 Nov. 1972.

When I was Minister of Social Affairs, (…) I decided to intervene on every matter. Even those that didn’t concern me directly and that were, predominantly, man’s domain, like Justice, Defence, Decolonisation, Foreign Affairs. For many people this was seen as trying to bite more than I could chew. In reality what I intended, and achieved, was to talk about what men were talking, and have them hear what I had to say about it – the need to introduce a welfare pension, the need of a minimum wage, the expansion of health care to rural populations, etc., etc. I wanted to establish a social care for everyone, without excluding anyone. For that I had to speak the table language.

Pintasilgo, Maria de Lourdes, cited in Pinheiro, Paula Moura (1997), “As Mulheres têm de trabalhar sobre si próprias”, Pública, supl. do jornal Público, 3-8.

THEY SAID IT

Knowing how to apply what conventionally belongs to the private sphere (affection) and what conventionally belongs to the public sphere (politics) was always one of the main line of thoughts and action of Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo.

Amaral, Ana Luísa (2005), “Entre a ideia e o tempo”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 17-18.

When Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo died in 2004, it was nothing less than an era coming to an end in Portugal. Hers was the century of women being excluded from positions of power – and she went out and conquered them for generations to become the first female president in Portugal and only the second woman to become head of state in Europe.

European Institute for Gender Equality

She retained a moderate distrust of her male colleagues in the rough macho trade of international politics remarking once to a friend, ‘You know, they never forgive me for having dared to enter their world.’

O’Shaughnessy, Hugh, in Independent, 14 July 2004.

PRIZES, ACHIEVEMENTS, HONOURS

1981: Grã-Cruz da Ordem Militar de Cristo (Portugal)
1986:  The 1986 Living Legacy Award, Women’s International Center (United States of America)
1990: Doctorate honoris causa, University of Louvain (Université catholique de Louvain(Belgium)
1994: Grã-Cruz da Ordem do Infante D. Henrique (Portugal)
1997: Medalha Machado de Assis, Academia Brasileira de Letras (Brazil)
2017: Grã-Cruz da Ordem da Liberdade (Portugal)

INTERTEXTUAL MATERIALS

Authoring the Preface for the book Novas Cartas Portuguesas, by Maria Isabel Barreno, Maria Teresa Horta and Maria Velho da Costa (1974).

Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo interviewed by Fernando Balsinha, TV Channel RTP (1979).

Castanheira, Graça (2009), “Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo”. Documentary.

Exhibition And Yet, They Move! Women and Science [E contudo, elas movem-se! Mulheres e Ciência], Rectorate of the University of Porto, Portugal, 10-29 september, 2019. [an illustration of Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo by Miguel Praça is displayed at the exhibition].

Vale de Gato, Margarida (2019), “Sistema, Ferida e Frestas”, E contudo, elas movem-se! Mulheres e Ciência (com poemas), Org. Ana Luísa Amaral e Marinela Freitas, Porto: U. Porto Edições, p. 51 [Poem dedicated to Maria de Lurdes Pintasilgo; the book also contains an illustration of  Pintasilgo by Miguel Praça].

WORKS BY MARIA DE LOURDES PINTASILGO

Pintasilgo, Maria de Lourdes (1980), Sulcos do nosso querer comum: Recortes de entrevistas concedidas durante o V Governo Constitucional, Porto, Ed. Afrontamento.

Pintasilgo, Maria de Lourdes (1980), Imaginar a Igreja, Lisboa, Ed. Multinova.

Pintasilgo, Maria de Lourdes (1980), Les nouveaux féminismes: question pour les chrétiens?, Paris, Éditions du Cerf.

Pintasilgo, Maria de Lourdes (1985), As Dimensões da Mudança, Porto, Ed. Afrontamento.

Pintasilgo, Maria de Lourdes (1981), Os Novos Feminismos: Interrogação para os Cristãos, Lisboa, Moraes.

Pintasilgo, Maria de Lourdes (1984), O Graal, Um Movimento do Nosso Tempo, Porto, Separata de Igreja e Missão, 2.ª série, ano 15.

Pintasilgo, Maria de Lourdes (1985), Dimensões da Mudança,  2.ª ed., Porto Afrontamento.

Pintasilgo, Maria de Lourdes (1985), As Minhas Respostas, Lisboa, Ed. D. Quixote.

Pintasilgo, Maria de Lourdes (1982), “Introductory Essays”, in Creative Women in Changing Societies: A Quest for Alternatives, Ed. Torril Stockland et al. for the UNITAR Transnational Publishers, Inc, New York, Dobbs Ferry, 15-20.

FURTHER READING

Amaral, Ana Luísa (2005), “Entre a ideia e o tempo”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 17-18.

– (2005), “Uma imaginária linha: Palavras Dadas, de Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 209-212.

Araújo, Helena C. (dir.) (2002), Ex Aequo: outros sentidos para novas cidadanias, Porto, Afrontamento. n. º 7.

– (2006), “Dando palavras às palavras dadas”, in Ex Aequo: um legado de cidadania, homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo,Porto: Afrontamento, n. º 12.

– (2005), Ex Aequo: Mulheres, participação e democracia, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 13, 213-216.

Assis, Cristina (2007), “Reconhecer-se além fronteiras: ecofeminismo e o pensamento de Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo” [Manuscript].

Beltrão, Luísa / Hatton, Barry (2007), Uma História para o Futuro, Lisboa, Tribuna da História.

Carmo, Hermano (2005), “Nem cunhas nem cartas anónimas”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 21-24.

Correia, Hélia (2006), Faces de Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Lisboa, Graal-Terraço.

Cunha, Silvério Rocha (2005), “Dilemas & Problemas do político numa era de vencedores: duas derivas (in)tempestivas a propósito de alguns pensamentos de Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 127-138.

Eanes, António Ramalho, et al., (2008), Uma flor por Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo: Mulher das cidades futuras, Lisboa, Associação Abril, 2008.

Garaudy, Roger (1981), Pour l’Avènement de la Femme, Paris: Albin-Michel.

Gaspard. Françoise (2005), “Une femme”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto: Afrontamento, n. º 12, 35-38.

Köning, Maria Helena/Marijke de (2005), “Cartas a Liliana sobre uma mulher das cidades future”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento. n. º 12, 77-95.

– (2006), Lugares emergentes do sujeito-mulher: viagem com Paulo Freire e Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento: Fundação Cuidar o Futuro.

Lavinha, João (2005), “Actualidade de um voto de vencida na era dos choques”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 121-126.

Magalhães, Isabel Allegro de (coord.) (2005), Palavras Dadas de Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Lisboa, Livros Horizonte.

– (2000), Mulher das Cidades Futuras, Lisboa, Livros Horizonte.

Silva, Paula Martinho da (2005), “Percursos na bioética”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 33-34.

Olafsdottir, Olof (2005), “Quelques souvenirs”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 65-70.

Oliveira, Cármen (2005), “Um pequeno-almoço”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 25-26.

Oliveira, Rosiska Darcy de (2005), “Inédita e subversive”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 59-64.

Pinto, Teresa (dir.) (2007), Ex Aequo. Porto: Afrontamento. n. º 16.

Ramos, Maria Carlos Semedo (2005), “Possíveis de uma teologia em escritos de Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento. n. º 12, 169-192.

Rêgo, Maria do Céu da Cunha (2005), “Um pensamento novo”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo”, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 139-148.

Roseira, Maria de Belém (2005), “Recordações”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo”, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 31-32.

Seixas, Maria João (2005), “Uma rosa para Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 19-20.

Souza, Maria Reynolds de (2005), “Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo”, in Cruz, Manuel Braga da (dir.), Dicionário Biográfico Parlamentar: 1935-1974, Lisboa, Instituto de Ciências Sociais / Assembleia da República, vol. II, 477-479.

– (2005), “Cronologia da vida e da obra de Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n. º 12, 45-58

– (2005), “Procuradoras à Câmara Corporativa”, in Dicionário no Feminino: Séculos XIX e XX, Castro, Zília Osório de (dir.), Lisboa, Horizonte, 818-824.

Tavares, Manuela (2005), “Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo: a enorme capacidade de surpreender”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n.º 12, 27-30.

WORKS CITED

1. In this respect, see Assis, Cristina (2012), Reconhecer-se além fronteiras: Ecofeminismo e o pensamento de Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento.
2. Santos, Valente Raquel, “Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo na UNESCO: 1975-1981” [Manuscript].
3. Bettencourt, Ana Maria e Pereira, Maria Margarida Silva (coord.) (1995), “Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo”, in Mulheres Políticas: As suas Causas, Lisboa, Quetzal Editores, 215-227.
4. In http://www.graal.org.pt/pt/graal/o-que-e-o-graal (last accessed 06 Sep. 2019).
5. Souza, Maria Reynolds de (2005), “Cronologia da vida e da obra de Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo”, in Ex Aequo: Um Legado de Cidadania, Homenagem a Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Porto, Afrontamento, n.º 12, 45-58.
6. Bettencourt, Ana Maria e Pereira, Maria Margarida Silva (coord.) (1995), “Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo”, in Mulheres Políticas: As suas Causas, Lisboa, Quetzal Editores.
7. Sousa, Antónia de (1974), “Tenho Medo de que a História Passe ao Lado”, in Modas e Bordados, n.º 18-2.