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🇵🇹 Portugal /Culture & Society

Brazilian Mothers in Portugal Share How They Balance Parenthood and Entrepreneurship

From Público · (5m ago) Portuguese Positive tone

Translated from Portuguese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Brazilian women living in Portugal are balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship, finding fulfillment in owning their businesses.
  • For some, like personal trainer Bianca Bastos and lawyer Maysa Guimarães Leite, entrepreneurship offers more time with their children and a path to financial independence.
  • They emphasize the importance of mutual support among women, especially mothers, in navigating the challenges of starting and running a business.

In Portugal, a growing number of Brazilian women are forging new paths, successfully merging the demands of motherhood with the ambitions of entrepreneurship. As Portugal celebrates Mother's Day, these women share their journeys, highlighting how building their own businesses has not only provided financial stability but also granted them the invaluable gift of time with their children.

It's an intense path. Therefore, it's important to feel if this choice makes sense for you. And, along the way, you don't have to walk alone. Connecting with other women, especially mothers, makes all the difference. There is an empathy that doesn't need to be explained, and this strengthens and opens doors.

— Maysa Guimarães LeiteAdvising on the importance of community and support for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Maysa Guimarães Leite, a 37-year-old lawyer originally from Sergipe, Brazil, exemplifies this trend. After working in traditional legal settings in Lisbon, she is now launching 'Direito de Toda Gente,' a project focused on promoting citizenship and aiding immigrant integration. Maysa notes that entrepreneurship allows for innovation and impact in ways rigid corporate structures often cannot. Despite the slower pace due to her one-year-old son, Caetano, she finds that her parenting experience directly influences her professional outlook.

I want them to know what their rights and duties are. And in a simple way. I think one of the things that distances immigrants the most is 'legalese'. Some people don't understand various terms.

— Maysa Guimarães LeiteExplaining the goal of her 'Direito de Toda Gente' project for immigrant integration.

Bianca Bastos, a 40-year-old personal trainer from Rio de Janeiro, echoed similar sentiments. Having moved to Portugal eight years ago, she credits the birth of her son, Matias, with inspiring her to become her own boss. Both women stress the intensity of the entrepreneurial path but find strength in solidarity. They advocate for connecting with other women, particularly mothers, as this shared experience fosters an empathy that is crucial for mutual support and success. This narrative, featured in *Público Brasil*, underscores the resilience and determination of Brazilian women making their mark in Portugal.

Even before becoming a mother, I...

— Bianca BastosBeginning to explain how motherhood inspired her entrepreneurial journey.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Público in Portuguese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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