Debora Diniz is a Brazilian university professor, feminist human rights activist, documentarian, and public intellectual. Since 2018, she has been living outside of Brazil due to her work on the decriminalization of abortion. She is an experienced voice in global health who works to promote social change at scale through various media and methods, including research, academia, advocacy and the arts.
An academic by training, Diniz worked as a professor at the University of Brasília for nearly 20 years (currently on unpaid leave) and is currently a visiting scholar at the Center for Advanced Studies in Berlin, Germany. Diniz is the founder of Anis – Institute of Bioethics, an organization dedicated to the use of video and research for evidence-based advocacy, policy change and strategic litigation on health and rights. From 2018 to 2023, Diniz served as deputy executive director of Fòs Feminista, an international alliance for reproductive justice that is Global South based and led, which brings together over 220 organizations in more than 44 countries. Diniz is currently a member of the High-Level Advisory Group for the Gender and Health Hub, coordinated by the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH) and participates in international boards and academic panels.
A prolific writer, Diniz has authored or edited more than 20 books and published more than 160 articles in academic journals. She has written over 80 book chapters and contributed more than 400 opinion pieces in various media. Debora Diniz is a skilled communicator who has been recognized for her effectiveness in building connections on difficult issues among diverse stakeholders, as evidenced by her strong presence on social media. She also produces videos and her films have won more than 80 awards and have been shown in festivals, prisons, universities and schools, hospitals and laboratories, courts, and churches in more than 35 countries. Her most recent film, “a common woman”, tells the story of the green wave movement in Brazil and Argentina through the journey of a Brazilian woman who crosses the border to get a safe and legal abortion. For her rights-based response to the impact of the Zika epidemic in Brazil, she was nominated as one of Foreign Policy Magazine’s 100 Global Thinkers. In 2020, she was awarded the prestigious Dan David Prize, a lifetime achievement award for her contributions to gender justice.