30% of Brazil Top State Jobs to Go to People of Color: Decree

At least 30 percent of appointed positions in Brazil’s federal government must be occupied by black and mixed-race people, according to a decree signed Tuesday by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The leftist leader, who returned for his third presidential term in January, has vowed to make Brazil’s government reflect “the face of Brazilian society,” where more than half of the population is black or mixed-race.

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The measure is meant to “encourage the presence of black people in decision-making and leadership spaces,” the government said in a statement, adding that it will affect those who self-identify as black or brown.

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“Without race and gender equality there will be no democracy,” Lula said.

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