The Brazilian Army has nominated Colonel Claudia Lima Gusmão Cacho as the first woman to reach the rank of brigadier general, marking an institutional milestone for the Force. The promotion, to be effective by decree from President Lula, follows nearly three decades of her service in military health. This makes the Army the last of the three armed forces to promote a woman to general rank.
The nomination of Claudia Lima Gusmão Cacho to the rank of brigadier general was made by the Army's High Command in a secret vote on February 24, 2026, chaired by General Tomás Miguel Paiva. Born in Recife, Pernambuco, the 57-year-old officer is a pediatrician who joined the Army in 1996 as a temporary officer in the 42nd Motorized Infantry Battalion in Goiânia, Goiás. In 1998, she was approved at the Army School of Health and completed the Medical Officers Training Course, part of the first class of female medical officers in 1997.
Throughout her career, Gusmão held positions such as head of the Health Echelon of the 1st Military Region, deputy director of Legislation and Medical Expertise in the Health Directorate, and director of hospitals including the Guarnição in Natal (Rio Grande do Norte), the Area Military in Campo Grande (Mato Grosso do Sul), and the Central Army Hospital. She received decorations including the Military Merit Order Medal in the officer grade and the Peacekeeper Medal. Married to Division General Jorge Augusto Ribeiro Cacho, she has two daughters.
Until 2012, women in health roles could not advance to general officer ranks, but a change allowed entry into combat lines. The Army recognizes the nomination as a milestone, being the last to promote a woman to general: the Navy did so in 2012 with Dalva Maria Carvalho to rear admiral, and the Air Force in 2020 with Carla Lyrio Martins to brigadier, reaching major brigadier in 2023. None has reached four stars.
In 2023, women made up 6% of the Army's contingent (about 13,000), compared to 11% in the Navy and 22% in the Air Force. In 2026, over a thousand women will enter as soldiers from March 2, after 33,720 enlistments. In the Superior Military Court, Maria Elizabeth Guimarães Teixeira Rocha took the presidency on March 12, 2025, the first woman in the role since 2007.
