Why Women's Leadership in Animal Welfare Matters - Insights from Sinergia Animal's Founder

For Women’s Month in March, Carolina Galvani, Founder of Sinergia Animal, and Shammy Coello, Managing Director Latam, share a clear message: the way we treat animals must change.

By Leonardo Vásquez

Communications Lead - LATAM, Sinergia Animal

When Carolina Galvani was a child visiting farms in rural Brazil, she saw cattle grazing on vast expanses of land, calves alongside their mothers, and animals that seemed to live with dignity.

Years later, when she discovered industrial farms—where animals are confined in tiny cages, barely able to see sunlight—the impact was profound. "The difference between those two worlds was brutal. Since then, the idea that animals deserve more space and freedom has been central to my life," she says.

That conviction led her to found Sinergia Animal, an international organization present in Global South countries such as Chile, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Thailand, and Indonesia, recognized for the eighth consecutive year as one of the highest-impact organizations by Animal Charity Evaluators.

From Infiltrating Slaughterhouses to Negotiating with Corporations

Before founding Sinergia Animal, Carolina studied Economics at the State University of Campinas and later traveled to London to pursue a master's degree in International Journalism. There, an investigative agency needed a volunteer for a project in Portugal. It was her first undercover infiltration into industrial farms. "I was afraid. Undercover investigations require staying calm while documenting so much cruelty," she recounts. But she had a purpose: to change things.

She worked for 12 years as an investigative journalist for Greenpeace and World Animal Protection, covering stories in more than 30 countries. Until one day she decided to take a step further: exposing wasn't enough; solutions had to be negotiated. This has led her to sit across from executives at giants like JBS, McDonald's, and Nestlé—rooms where men have historically predominated. "My focus is to show up strong and prepared. It is unacceptable for companies to ignore animal welfare," she says.

Have you ever felt you needed to prove something extra because you are a woman?

"At Sinergia Animal, most of the corporate policies we've secured have been negotiated by women. I reject the idea that this role should be given to men because they might be supposedly 'more effective.' Our results prove otherwise," she asserts.

When she founded Sinergia Animal in 2017, Carolina had a clear vision: to focus on the so-called Global South, the countries often left out of progress happening in Europe or North America. "Returning to Brazil, it was painful to realize how far behind we were. There, there were advances, legislation, corporate policies. Here in Latin America, these conversations were just beginning," she notes.

Her identity as a Latina woman influenced that vision. "It connects me to the realities of our region—the challenges, but also the resilience and creativity of our societies. I firmly believe that we can achieve meaningful reforms for animals," she affirms.

From Corporate Strategy to Activism

Shammy Coello has 18 years of experience leading in male-dominated fields such as mining, energy, and finance, and one year as Managing Director Latam of Sinergia Animal. "I led complex projects and developed valuable tools: strategy, management, leadership. But I started asking myself what I really wanted to use them for," she confesses. She says she always connected with animals. "It was a conscious decision: to bring everything I learned in the corporate world to animal protection," she notes.

Today, she applies those tools to every campaign at the organization. "Large-scale activism requires strategy. We plan with clear objectives, metrics, and indicators. The difference is that the goal isn't profitability—it's reducing animal suffering," she explains.

On leading as a woman, she reflects: "In spaces historically dominated by men, we often have to prove our capability more than once. But more and more women are redefining leadership: through collaboration and strategic vision, not just through traditional authority."

Shammy describes negotiations as a process of opening dialogues. "Many companies talk about sustainability, but not all include animal welfare. We show why how we treat animals must be part of those policies," she argues.

A Movement of Women

At Sinergia Animal, every country director is a woman. Carolina explains: "One of our first policies was to prioritize women for leadership. Historically, opportunities have been more limited for us. The animal movement itself is largely driven by women—between 70% and 80% of those who support these causes are women. It makes sense for leadership to reflect that reality."

Why are women predominantly leading this fight? Carolina reflects: "Women tend to report higher levels of empathy, but environment also plays a huge role: girls are often raised to be more attentive to care and vulnerability. It's biology and culture. But empathy isn't exclusive to women—many men are also compassionate advocates."

That female leadership has been powerful for animals, she says. "Every day I work with courageous and determined women who do emotionally demanding work with incredible professionalism and compassion. Being surrounded by them constantly inspires me and reminds me that meaningful change is always a collective effort."

Her role models: Jane Goodall, "who in a science dominated by men followed her intuition and transformed our understanding of animals." And her mother. "She taught me courage and a practical form of feminism. She raised me to believe I was just as capable as anyone else," she shares.

That conviction—that women can lead, negotiate, and transform realities—lies at the heart of Sinergia Animal. The results, both women say, speak for themselves: to date, more than 160 cage-free corporate commitments for egg-laying hens and over 26 commitments to improve conditions for pigs in the industry.