Luiza Trajano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luiza Trajano
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Trajano in 2013
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Luiza Helena Trajano Inácio
9 October 1948 Franca, São Paulo, Brazil
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| Alma mater | Faculdade de Direito de Franca (School of Law of Franca) |
| Occupation | Chair, Magazine Luiza |
| Spouse(s) | Erasmo Fernandes Rodrigues (died 2009) |
| Children | 3 |
Luiza Helena Trajano Inácio Rodrigues (born 9 October 1948) is a Brazilian businesswoman. She is the leader of the retail company Magazine Luiza and its related businesses. In July 2020, Forbes magazine said she was Brazil's richest woman. Luiza Trajano also helps advise UNICEF Brazil and UNFPA Brazil, which are organizations that help children and families. In 2021, TIME magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She is a strong supporter of women's rights.
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Her Life and Career
Luiza Trajano was born in Franca, a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. She studied law and finished her degree in 1972. Her parents owned a store in Franca called Magazine Luiza. Luiza worked in many different parts of the store, like sales and management. In 1991, she became the main director of the company.
Under her leadership, Magazine Luiza grew a lot. It became a huge chain with over 1,000 stores across 18 Brazilian states. The company now serves more than 18 million customers and has over 27,000 employees. It also became a publicly traded company, meaning people can buy shares of it on the stock market.
Helping Women and Equality
Luiza Trajano is the leader of an organization called Grupo Mulheres do Brasil (Women of Brazil). This group was started in 2013 by 40 Brazilian women who owned businesses. Their goal is to promote equal rights, good jobs, safety, health, and education for everyone. Today, more than 48,000 women in 14 countries are part of this group.
In 2017, a sad event happened that made Luiza Trajano speak out about difficult situations some women face at home. She took action within her company, where about half of the employees are women. She created a special phone line for workers, including men, to get help. The company also offers advice and legal support. They even help employees find new job locations and alert authorities if needed.
Magazine Luiza also asks other companies they work with to hire at least 2% of women who have faced tough situations. This helps these women become financially independent, which can be a big step towards a safer life. Luiza Trajano believes that women have made great progress, but there is still work to do for equal pay and to stop violence.
Luiza Trajano thinks that companies should have a certain number of women on their boards of directors. She believes that without this, it could take 100 years for women to make up 20% or 30% of these leadership roles in Brazil. She looks up to her aunt, who started Magazine Luiza, and her mother as inspirations.
Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
In September 2020, Magazine Luiza announced a special program for new trainees in 2021. This program was open only to Black candidates. Luiza Trajano said this was an important step to make the company more diverse. The program also removed requirements for English skills and previous work experience.
This announcement caused some discussion. Luiza Trajano explained that their previous programs, which did not focus on specific groups, had not worked well enough to create diversity. She said, "We know people will disagree, but we will keep going. We will fight and we won't give up easily."
In 2019, Luiza Trajano had already said that racial inequality is a very serious issue in Brazil. She pointed out that there was only one Black female leader of a major Brazilian company. She believes it is important to have more Black men and women in leadership roles within businesses. She also mentioned that while they expected some criticism for the trainee program, they were happy to "break the taboo" and start an important conversation.
Awards and Recognition
Luiza Trajano was named Person of the Year 2020 by the Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce. This award recognized her important contributions and influence.
See also
In Spanish: Luiza Trajano para niños
