Manuela Ramalho Eanes
Manuela Ramalho Eanes | |
|---|---|
Ramalho Eanes in 1983 | |
| First Lady of Portugal | |
| In office 14 July 1976 – 9 March 1986 | |
| President | António Ramalho Eanes |
| Preceded by | Estela Costa Gomes |
| Succeeded by | Maria Barroso |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 December 1938 |
| Spouse | António Ramalho Eanes |
| Children | 2 |
Maria Manuela Duarte Neto Portugal Ramalho Eanes (born 29 December 1938) was the First Lady of Portugal from 1976 to 1986, as the wife of the President of Portugal, António Ramalho Eanes.
She broke tradition for wives of Portugal's heads of state, by speaking out about taboo issues such as child sexual abuse. In 1983, she founded Instituto de Apoio à Criança (IAC; Institute of Support to the Child). As a law graduate, and at 37 the youngest in her position, she had a different profile to other First Ladies of the country.
In 1977, after the birth of her second son, she declared her position in favour of ending the complete ban on abortion in Portugal. She called abortion "humiliating for the dignity of women" and said that it should only be allowed in medical emergencies.