It's daisy season.

The colorful flowers of the ipê trees break the aridity and dryness of Brasília. The vibrant colors welcome white, yellow, pink, lilac, black, red, wild, small, and large daisies. Coming from the fields, the forests, and the waters, thousands and thousands of women occupy the wide avenues of the federal capital singing "Look, Brasília is in bloom, the determined ones are arriving. Look, Brasília is in bloom, it's the desire, the desire of the Daisies."

Brazilian society still harbors deeply ingrained sexist values. There is a persistent belief that women should be controlled and monitored in fulfilling well-defined social gender roles, and that failing to conform to standards of appearance, behavior, and functions deemed appropriate justifies the use of psychological and physical violence. Oppressive practices based on gender are incompatible with the struggle and achievements of women in work, education, family life, and social interaction. Women, therefore, with all their creativity, promote expressions that can strengthen other values, forging new paths towards achieving equality.

Held since 2000, spearheaded by Raimunda Damasceno, with the aim of drawing society's attention and demanding new achievements for rural women, the March of the Margaridas is a strategic action promoted by Contag, Federations and Unions of Rural Workers. Subsequently, Carmen Foro, then Secretary of the newly created Secretariat of Rural Working Women of Contag and now vice-president of CUT, takes on the task of continuing to give visibility to the struggle of rural women. In 2015, the 5th March of the Margaridas is coordinated by Alessandra Lunas.

The Secretariat for Rural Working Women of Contag, with its admirable organizational capacity, is consolidating itself as a significant space for women from the countryside, forests, and waterways to express their demands.

On August 11th and 12th, 2015, the Margaridas from all over the country, believing in Rosa Luxemburg's saying: "Those who do not move do not know the chains that bind them," marched to advance Brazil in the fight against poverty, in confronting violence against women, in defending food and nutritional sovereignty, in building a society without prejudice based on gender, color, race, and ethnicity, without homophobia, and for overcoming religious intolerance. The struggle is also for public policies that contribute to "Sustainable Development with Democracy, Justice, Autonomy, Equality, and Freedom," the motivating motto of the 5th March of the Margaridas.

Women from the countryside, forests, and waterways demand a different model of development—sustainable and solidarity-based—that encourages family-based production units capable of promoting food sovereignty and security for their people; they call for access to land, agrarian reform, and recognition of the territories of indigenous and quilombola communities; they understand agroecology as a way of producing, relating, and living, believing that air, water, land, and forests are fundamental elements for life, and therefore common goods, not capitalist monopolies. They advocate for the establishment of new forms of market relations based on values ​​of cooperation, exchange, and solidarity, valuing productive diversity, artisanal fishing, and women's participation. Agroecological fairs, small and medium-sized retailers, cooperatives, consumer groups, and the institutional market need to be fostered and strengthened.

The women marching denounce the sexist education that reinforces a compartmentalized view of people, strengthens the subjugation of women, reproduces sexism and racism, and contributes to the perpetuation of violence against women and homophobia. They call for a break with the current educational model and the construction of an educational process that fosters equality between women and men, recognizing and respecting differences; they affirm that the physical, intellectual, and moral formation and development of a human being is a great process of coexistence that takes place in all spheres of society: family, school, church, work, union, association. They want and build respectful and egalitarian relationships between men, women, young people, the elderly, and with nature.

The Margaridas teach us that health means taking care of your family and yourself, with well-being and balance between body and mind. This harmony depends on guaranteeing a dignified life through public policies that promote work, income, education, housing, sanitation, food, leisure, transportation, and security. They also say that the right to reproductive health, with adequate information, medical and humane treatment during pregnancy, prenatal care, childbirth, and abortion, is fundamental, aware that they are the owners of their time, their bodies, and their lives.

Brazilian women represent half the population, are underrepresented in institutions of power, and are still a minority in the leadership of political parties, social organizations, and unions. The Margaridas denounce the fact that these spaces of representation are occupied by the white, property-owning male elite. They therefore demand the effective and equal political participation of women as a fundamental condition for strengthening democracy.

With the slogan "Daisies March for Sustainable Development with Democracy, Justice, Autonomy, Equality and Freedom," women are once again taking to the streets to protest against social inequalities, denounce all forms of violence, exploitation and domination, and present proposals to advance the construction of democracy and equality. It is up to all of us to welcome them, embrace their demands, recognize the justness of their causes, and pay them homage for the courage, pride, and dignity with which they fight for a generous, egalitarian, and just country, capable of offering happiness to all.
Let us learn, then, the lesson of Cora Coralina, carried in the hands and hearts of these Margarida Women: "Even when everything seems to collapse, it is up to me to decide whether to laugh or cry, to go or stay, to give up or fight; because I discovered, on the uncertain path of life, that the most important thing is to decide." And it is up to us to admire them, because margaridas are simple, but above all they are strong, capable, sincere, citizens who exercise their rights and demand respect, autonomy and equality. After all, "we are all margaridas"!