Bertha Lutz is a world-renowned Brazilian zoologist, politician, and diplomat. She is lauded for her scientific and social contributions to Brazil and, South American, and was instrumental in developing modern feminist movements in Brazil. Lutz was born in 1894 to Adolfo Lutz and Amy Marie Gertrude Fowler. Both her parents were medical professionals. Her father was an epidemiologist, and her mother was a nurse. Their professions allowed Lutz to grown up in an environment of comfort and an easily accessible education. Their positions also allowed her to travel. She went to the university of Paris, and in 1918 she graduated with degrees in the natural sciences, biology, and zoology. Upon her return, Lutz was adamant about bring feminist ideologies to Brazil. She founded the League for Intellectual Emancipation of Women and was an ardent labor rights supporter. In 1922 these two passions converged when she was elected as the Brazilian representative to the International Labor Organization’s Female International Council. After her appearance at the ILO, Lutz began to quickly gain fame within Brazil. She advocated tirelessly for women’s suffrage, and in 1933, the Brazilian government granted women the right to vote. Lutz’s campaigning did not stop with suffrage. In 1936 she was elected to the Brazilian congress where she fought for the inclusion of her bill “The Statute of Women”. In it, she would go and amend every bill passed by Congress and ensure that it would benefit women as well. Unfortunately, her project was shot down by Brazilian dictator Getulio Vargas in 1937. This did not stop her work however. She then served as a diplomat for the Brazilian government. In 1945 she was among the four women to sign the United Nations Charter in San Francisco, and she served as vice president of the Inter-American Commission of Women from 1953-59. Lutz’s political accomplishments were not her only ones through her career. She was a noted biologist and specialized in poison dart frogs. Early on in her career she was hired by the National Museum in Rio and published regularly. Throughout her entire career Lutz continued to publish scientific articles. She has been posthumously honored by having two new Brazilian lizards named after her. Bertha Lutz led an incredibly successful life as a scientist and politician. She was an ardent supporter of women’s rights and fought tireless for women across the globe. Her work in Brazil and the UN will ensure that her legacy will be long lasting and influential for years to come.

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