Maria José Rosado-Nunes is a graduate professor of sociology of religion and feminist studies at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo. She is currently a researcher at the National Researcher Center (CNPq).
Professor Rosado-Nunes has Ph.D in Sociology from EHESS of Paris. Both her two master’s projects and doctoral dissertation, Ph.D., received the highest grade possible, also earning an honorable mention for EHESS’ annual award. Her current research focus is Catholicism and Modernity – women’s rights in the Catholic Church. Rosado-Nunes was also visiting professor at Harvard University in 2003.
Her publications include a book and numerous articles on the Catholic Church and feminist questions. She worked for years with Catholic-based communities in the poorest areas of Brazil.
She was nominated for the 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005. She is a human rights activist, with a special emphasis on women’s rights. As founder and director of an important Brazilian NGO, Catholics to the Right to Decide (CDD-Br) she has important experience in Brazil as well as in Latin American and Caribbean issues related to women’s rights.
Both her professional work as well as the activities of social intervention made her a reference person to the various national and international media – TV, print, radio, internet – for women’s sexual and reproductive rights, especially when these rights are the target of religious fundamentalist groups, in particular the Catholic Church.