March 5, 2026

Human Rights in Contemporary Societies

Teresa Cunha e Maristela Gomes de Souza Guedes

This doctoral thesis aims to examine the relationship between education on women's rights and the arguments present in the narratives of young women from the south of Bahia, regarding their processes of resistance and confrontation of violence. Through more horizontal, creative, and situated methodologies of social education, the research is epistemologically grounded in the perspective of decolonial studies, with particular attention given to the intersectional violences of race and gender produced by processes of exploitation, exclusion, and inequality that have marked the construction of Brazilian society. This is explored in dialogue with the theories underpinning Paulo Freire's liberatory education and the triangular approach in arts education, both as theory and methodology for re-signifying reality. The narratives result from discussions in focus groups, artistic interventions, and workshops on the central analytical categories: rights, violence, education, and gender. For the execution of this scientific work, a qualitative action research methodology has been employed, alongside theory and the triangular approach of arts education. The final result, in addition to this dissertation, is the educational documentary video "Agosto Delas." Thus, this work aims to bring the contributions of the voices of young women silenced because of their gender and/or due to generational, racial, ethnic, sexual, or class-based issues, building examples of resistance for other women; highlighting alternative educational practices for rights, confronting violence against women, and contributing to the formulation or maintenance of public policies.

Keywords: Decoloniality; Education; Rights; Violence; Women