Thank you, Nísia. Thank you, Izolda.

Nísia Trindade and Izolda Cela were always where they needed to be. Both pioneers in their fields, both women who dared to occupy spaces historically reserved for men. And perhaps for that reason, both faced challenges that go beyond technique and competence: the silent, but relentless, challenges of politics.

Nísia arrived at the helm of Fiocruz and, later, the Ministry of Health, with a legacy of impeccable research and management. She rescued programs destroyed by denialism, secured vaccines, coordinated the fight against the pandemic, and announced the first 100% national vaccine against dengue fever. She was a minister with results to show for it. But, in the political game, the best performance is not always enough to keep a piece on the board. Her dismissal, conducted without the respect her career deserved, was one of those moments when politics tramples on dignity. Even so, Nísia did not hide. She presented her legacy with her head held high, beautiful, as women who need no justifications, only results, do.

Izolda Cela followed a similar path.A psychologist by training, she made education her battleground. In Ceará, she spearheaded a silent but profound revolution in literacy and the quality of education. She served as vice-governor and later as governor, the first woman to lead the state. But at the end of her term, she faced a dilemma familiar to women who reach the top: her competence was recognized, but her right to continue was denied. Some judged that her "place" was elsewhere, and the political succession left her out. She had to deal with a racist campaign that attempted to diminish her career and denied Northeasterners the right to academic merit. Like Nísia, Izolda also said goodbye – not for lack of merit, but because the rules of the game don't always favor the best players.

Brazil owes a great deal to these two women. Public health and education bear their marks, their achievements, and their struggles. If politics continued its course without the time or generosity to recognize their contributions, history will record this. Because Nísia and Izolda were not just managers, technicians, or academics. They were, and are, protagonists of a country that is still learning to recognize the strength of women in power.