KICK partners join the MADÁ Institute and take part in its launch
On July 22, 2026, Espírito Santo gained a new organization dedicated to gender equity: the MADÁ Institute, launched in Vitória, at HUB ES+, with researchers, experts in women's rights and public officials. Two KICK Group partners lead the initiative: Daniela Klein is president and Mariana Klein is executive director.
What MADÁ is
MADÁ is a private nonprofit based in Vitória, created to promote gender equity and improve the quality of life of women and girls through education, research and public policy advocacy. Its work starts in Espírito Santo, with the goal of joining national and international networks and becoming a reference for other regions of Brazil and Latin America.
“MADÁ was born to tackle gender inequality in concrete ways, through research, education and political engagement. Identifying the problem is not enough: we need to build tools that actually change the daily lives of women and girls.” — Mariana Klein, executive director
Three areas of work
- Emancipatory Education: programs focused on the autonomy and social participation of women and girls.
- Climate Justice: projects on the unequal effects of the climate crisis on women and vulnerable communities.
- Research and Social Technologies: producing data on gender inequality and creating platforms, digital tools and methodologies that increase the visibility and autonomy of women.
Projects use participatory methodologies, an intersectional perspective and listening to the communities involved. The work follows four principles: participation of women in decisions that affect them, public access to the data produced, evidence-based advocacy, and diversified funding sources to preserve the institute's autonomy.
Pesquisadoras do ES: the first project
Among the projects that open MADÁ's work is Pesquisadoras do ES, a platform that maps, connects and promotes the work of women who produce science in the state. According to local press, the portal is already live, with 56 researchers and just over 400 articles, books and other publications.
Who is at MADÁ
The board is made up of Daniela Klein (president), Mariana Klein (executive director) and Andreia Carvalho (legal director). The fiscal council includes Janaína Arndt, Valdir Brunelli and Flora Gaspar da Silva, and Manoela Pagotto Nodari sits on the advisory council. Part of this group is also in KICK Group's partner network, bringing the consultancy's experience in participatory processes, research and social-environmental communication to the institute's work.
The launch
The event, held at HUB ES+ on Praça Costa Pereira, in downtown Vitória, included a welcome coffee, the presentation of the Atlas of Women of Espírito Santo, produced by the State Secretariat for Women, and a conversation circle on gender, violence prevention and public policy.
