Integralism and eugenics: the role of women in Brazilian fascism's national regeneration project.

The 1920s and 1930s were marked by a need for social modernization. Some modern nation-building projects had nationalist and authoritarian overtones, and some proposals for State renewal were developed on the basis of eugenic concepts. In Brazil, Brazilian Integralist Action (Ação Integralista Brasileira, AIB) was the largest fascist movement outside Europe, with a State-building project underpinned by a eugenics program. This study investigates how eugenics influenced integralism and especially how women engaged in the integralist movement. Based on the empirical study of printed sources, the discourse about gender-specific roles in this context is revealed, as are the functions of the "green blouses" in AIB's eugenic project.