Interviewer’s Introductions: This series is meant to bring awareness to people who may not know what life is like in different countries as a woman. None of this is for debate, as it is the interviewee’s opinion and view of their own country and their experiences within it. Thank you!*
1. What is your full name?
Victoria Mendonça Tavares
2. How old are you? Do you feel like your age has affected your worldview? How so?
19, yes by the experiences I’ve had and leaving my country alone at a young age for college.
3.What is your gender and preferred pronouns
She/her
4. Do you think sexuality is perceived differently from where you live compared to the rest of the world?
Yes, Brazil is still a very prejudiced country that has a lot to learn. Many people suffer prejudice because of their sexuality.
5. Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not?
Yes I believe I am a feminist. I always educate people around me, especially men, about feminism and how to respect a woman in certain situations.
6. In your personal experience how do you think your life differs from a man?
My life differs because young women are expected to be a certain way and act a certain way to be “accepted” by men. On the other hand, men don’t have that expectation from women.
7. What are some things that you think of as a woman but wish you didn’t have to?
I am a college student and I like to go out. However, when I go out to parties I always get an Uber, and I always go with a bunch of girls. This is because I’m scared of being raped if I were alone.
8. What situations are women put in, in your county, that men never have to worry about?
Men never have to worry about things I have mentioned before: walking alone at night in the streets or being sexually abused on a bus.
9. How is culture involved with how women behave in your country?
Brazilian culture is very loving and sexual. That is not a bad thing, however, men should learn how to respect women.
10. What customs and stereotypes did you grow up with in regards to gender? Do you still follow/believe them?
Especially in the United States, I’ve already heard a guy saying that Brazilian women are easy. I don’t believe the stereotype and I believe that women should do whatever they want without judgment because men aren’t judged the way women are. Why should women be judged for doing the same things as a man?
11. If you could change one part of society in regards to human rights, what would you change? Do you think this is specific to where you’re from or should it be changed throughout the entire world?
I would change the way men see women. I wish they saw us as equal. But, that will take a long time to change. Women have been treated as inferior and oversexualized for a long time. The porn industry also helps in the fact that women are oversexualized, and that is not good because young males will grow up thinking that that is how you treat a woman.