"On International Women's Day, Portugal gives high value to the presence of women in the Armed Forces, and to their unique contribution to international peace. Congratulations", said Portugal's Minister of National Defense, João Gomes Cravinho.

Crazinho’s Brazilian counterpart, Fernando Azevedo e Silva, took advantage of the event to exalt the "dedication and professionalism" with which the military of the Armed Forces of Brazil "serve the Nation, and which is a source of pride" for the South American country.

Regarding her experiences in international settings, frigate captain Carla Araújo, with a 24-year career in the Brazilian Navy, highlighted the peace mission she carried out in the Central African Republic and stressed that, many times, "she felt she was not capable", but that confidence in "her talents, intuition and ability" were fundamental.

"This dream of mine, I never thought I would be able to do this, but today I am very grateful. I went after what I believed, I counted on the people I loved and I am much happier", said Carla Araújo.

Lieutenant Colonel Ivana Mara, of the Brazilian Army and served on the peace mission in Haiti, hopes that opportunities will be strengthened "for men and women, equally" in the military field.

"I see that many doors are being opened for us women. Many are assuming command functions, for their dedication, for their ability. I see today that men and women, regardless of the number, end up complementing each other, with new ideas, with different visions. I think that is the goal, the success of the organization", said, in turn, the Brazilian major Luanda Bastos, with missions in Congo and Sudan.

On the Portuguese side, Major Susana Marques, of the Portuguese Air Force and who carried out a peace mission in Colombia, declared that throughout her career she has always felt recognized and advised all women who want to join the military:" do it without fear", guaranteeing that the commitment and respect accorded to the military service will be rewarded "in the same proportion".

"I feel that I have opened many doors to future generations, to determined young people, like me, who may have a profession and a career in the Armed Forces", advocated Portuguese captain-lieutenant Reys Santos, stressing that in her 23 years of career in the Navy she discovered the "true meaning of the term naval family", where she found "a high spirit of fellowship", which allowed the missions to be successful.

The total number of Portuguese soldiers in national forces deployed in international peacekeeping missions is 560, 25 of which are women. The national contingent in the European Union Training Mission in the Central African Republic (EUTM RCA) is made up of 57 soldiers, of whom four are women: three Portuguese and one Brazilian, according to data from the Portuguese Embassy in Brasília.