The first group of female Marines graduated from their Marine Corps boot camp July 5, 2024.

“All of us take great pride being in the presence of these women,” said Brazilian Marine Corps Colonel Vanderli Nogueira Cordeiro Junior, commandant of the Almirante Milcíades Portela Alves Instruction Center (CIAMPA). “They overcame all the barriers and obstacles to complete the training and show us their capacity to provide to our forces.”

The inclusion of women in the Brazilian Marine Corps is the result of years of advocacy and policy changes aimed at creating a more inclusive military. The Brazilian government and military leadership have been working to integrate women into various branches of the armed forces, recognizing the invaluable contributions they can make.

Female service members are not new to Brazil and have served in their armed forces since the 1980s. Brazil was the first military in South America to accept women, however only in the Women’s Reserve Corps. In 2012, the Brazilian Armed Forces made history when Rear Admiral Dalva Maria Carvalho Mendes of the Brazilian Navy became the first woman to achieve the rank of flag officer in all the armed forces.

The Brazilian government passed a law in December 2017 that expanded the role women could serve. Prior to this law, women could only serve in health and support roles. However, with the passage of Public Law No. 13.541, they can now serve in all capacities to include combat operation roles and within the Marine Corps for the first time.

“We’re very proud of Brazil and our brothers and sisters in their Marine Corps,” said Brigadier General Omar Randall, deputy commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South and U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve. “Just like the United States, Brazil is continually opening pathways to give their young women the same opportunities as men to serve their beloved country.”

The female Marines underwent the same grueling training regimen as their male counterparts, which included physical fitness tests, combat training, survival skills, and leadership development. The demanding nature of the training is designed to prepare Marines for the challenges they may face in defending Brazil’s interests both domestically and abroad.

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