In 2010, Dilma Rousseff became Brazil's first female president. From 2011 to 2016,she presided as Brazil's 36th president. As the first woman to hold the top position in Brazil, her victory represented a momentous turning point in Brazilian politics. Before winning the 2010 presidential election, Dilma Rousseff was a member of the worker's party and worked as Luiz inácio Lula da Silva's chief of staff. Her concentration on social and economic measures including as initiatives to combat Brazil's poverty and inequality, was a defining characteristic of her presidency.