Olivia Earrings

With a landmass close to the size of the United States, Brazil is home to 190,010,647 people. Brazil's indigenous peoples are a minority, constituting less than 0.3% of the total population. While Brazil has been lauded for significant economic growth, making progress in the field of sustainable energy, these achievements have not translated into significant economic gains for all its citizens

With the influence of Roman Catholicism, Brazil has traditionally been very patriarchal and as such Brazil holds the title of the South American country with the least female representation in national politics. The country has extremely restrictive legislation regarding access to abortions and reproductive health. According to Human Rights Watch, as a result of these restrictive laws it is estimated that unsafe abortions are the fourth leading cause of maternal death.

Under the constitution of 1988, women became equal to men under the law. Despite this, there remains a significant wage gap between men and women, which is less pronounced in urban areas, and economic studies indicate that this discrepancy is largely due to discriminatory practices. In recent decades there has been a close association between a vibrant women's rights movement and the human rights movement. Activists have focused on combating domestic and sexual abuse against women and instituted the unique concept of police stations specifically for women.

In a process that has been termed the "feminization of poverty" the presence of female-headed households has continued to increase. Brazil is second only to South Africa in terms of income inequality. Significant poverty levels have led to the growth of pressing social issues including urban violence, increasing social security debts,

ineffective public services and a very low minimum wage (estimated at US $11.95 per day for a five day work week). This extreme inequality is no where more apparent than in the slums nestled between the richest areas of Rio de Janeiro.

Female life expectancy at birth: 76.38 years
Total fertility rate: 1.88 children born/woman
Infant mortality rate: 27.62 deaths/1,000 live births
HIV/AIDS adult prevalence: 0.7% 2003 estimate)
Literacy: 88.6% (2004 estimate)
Per capital income: $9,700 (2007 estimate)

Double seed drop earrings of acai in natural gray and sterling silver earwires. These earrings have an intricate marble colored appearance — complementing its more colorful matching cuff and necklace.

• Available in Cappucino or Midnight
• 1 inch long
• gray, marbled appearance
• sterling silver posts

$16.00 USD

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Global Sistergoods is proud of our partner, which features a unique blend of eco-friendly and fair trade gift items from South American rainforests. All products are the work of indigenous peoples of the rainforest from regions such as Para, Amazonia, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo. Our partner works cooperatively with native suppliers to ensure that our products use entirely organic materials that are harvested with environmentally sustainable methods — always with the future of the rainforest in mind.