Mujeres en Empleo Informal: Globalizando y Organizando [Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing, WIEGO] es una red global de investigación y política pública, con sede en la Universidad de Harvard. La red WIEGO busca mejorar el estatus de los trabajadores pobres, especialmente las mujeres, de la economía informal. Esto lo hace resaltando la magnitud, composición, características y contribución de la economía informal a través de estadísticas e investigación mejorada; ayudando a fortalecer las organizaciones basadas en membresía de trabajadores informales; y promoviendo diálogos de políticas y procesos que incluyan a representantes de organizaciones de trabajadores informales.
Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) is a global research-policy network, based at Harvard University, that seeks to improve the status of the working poor, especially women, in the informal economy. It does so by highlighting the size, composition, characteristics, and contribution of the informal economy, through improved statistics and research; by helping to strengthen membership-based organizations of informal workers; and by promoting policy dialogues and processes that include representatives of informal worker organizations.

HISTORIC CITIES NEAR BELO HORIZONTE

Belo Horizonte is the gateway to some of the most famous Brazilian historic cities, amongst them Ouro Preto. This city is known for the richness of its Baroque Art, which was the predominant style during the country's colonial period. Ouro Preto was the first capital of Minas Gerais State and it is only 98 km away from Belo Horizonte.

"Protected by mountains, Ouro Preto embodies the History of Brazil's gold rush era from the 17th and 18th century . Settlers and religious orders filled the town with cobblestone streets, austere houses and small churches with richly decorated interiors. The result in terms of architecture is an impressive harmony. Two geniuses of Brazilian arts, architec and sculptor Antônio Francisco Lisboa, the Aleijadinho, born in Ouro Preto, and painter Mestre Athayde, born in Mariana, poured their creativity and spirit into making Ouro Preto a unique town.

At that time, Ouro Preto was the richest Brazilian city, the place where, by order of Portugal, the gold production was brought to be gauged and taxed; not by coincidence, the Inconfidência Mineira, the first major attempt of independence, led by Tiradentes, took place in Ouro Preto. As years passed by, the gold mines were exhausted, and the town fell into oblivion.

What seemed a curse turned into a blessing: the lack of wealth prevented changes in the architecture, and all the richness of the buildings was preserved. Ouro Preto was, in 1980, the first Brazilian town to be listed by Unesco as one of the World Heritage Sites.

More recently, the establishment of industries in the surrounding area, the growth of population and increase in traffic have threatened the harmony inherited from the past. A particular cause of concern is the street carnival of Ouro Preto, which attracts students from all over Brazil, who crowd the cities while playing loud music" (Excerpt from a Traveller´s diary to Belo Horizonte)

How to arrive:


From the state capital Belo Horizonte the most practical way is taking BR040 highway, toward Rio de Janeiro. After driving for 20km exit to BR356 (highway of the Inconfidentes) all the way to Ouro Preto. 98 km around 1 and half hours from bus.


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