Brazil Advances Permanent Institutional Policies to Empower and Protect Women

At a recent congress held at the Superior Labor Court (TST) in Brasília, significant strides were discussed regarding the establishment of permanent institutional policies for women's inclusion and protection across Brazil. Rose Morais, Secretary-General of the Federal Council of the OAB, stressed that women's inclusion should no longer be a sporadic effort but need to become a structured, permanent policy. She highlighted the OAB's gender parity policy requiring equal representation across organizational levels since 2020 and announced the creation of a "bank of talents" to increase visibility for female jurists and researchers beyond the usual influencers.

The event, titled "International Dialogues: Labor Relations in Contemporary Society," brought together speakers who explored multifaceted issues relating to women's rights. These included Ekaterini Sofoulis Morita discussing the challenges of accessibility for women with disabilities, Marilane Teixeira addressing the intersections of poverty, race, and gender in the labor market, and rural worker Elisabete Vitor highlighting the hardships faced by Black women in agriculture. Gabriela Lenz de Lacerda, a judge from the National Justice Council, concluded the session noting that specific public policies and affirmative actions have tangibly increased women's representation in institutional spaces.

Parallel to these discussions on labor inclusion, the State of Acre is advancing a robust policy specifically designed to protect orphans of feminicide victims. Established by State Law No. 4,065 in 2022 and reinforced by subsequent legislation in 2025, this policy offers comprehensive social, legal, and financial assistance to minors affected by feminicide. A minimum wage benefit is provided to support the families of these orphans, administered by the State Secretariat for Women (Semulher), with advantages such as free legal aid, healthcare, and educational support ensuring holistic protection.

The policy’s application process is electronic, requiring detailed documentation, and includes social assessments and legal evaluations to guarantee secure benefit distribution. Additionally, ongoing monitoring mandates home visits and school attendance verifications. The initiative is integrated with state financial and administrative systems to guarantee transparency and sustainability.

Altogether, these developments across various Brazilian states and institutions reflect an expanding commitment to institutionalize women's rights and protections through permanent, multisectoral strategies addressing both labor inclusion and vulnerable populations affected by gender-based violence.