Rousseff Sworn In As Brazil's First Female President

Dilma Rousseff after winning Brazil's presidential election in October

Dilma Rousseff has been sworn in as Brazil's first female president as her popular predecessor and mentor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, stepped down after eight years in office.

The 63-year-old Rousseff, a former Marxist guerrilla and trained economist, takes the presidency at a moment when the South American nation's economic strength and influence on the world stage are on the rise.

She has made poverty reduction a goal of her presidency, as well as preparing Brazil to host the 2014 football World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

compiled from agency reports