Brazil Pushes for Permanent National Policy to Combat Gender Violence Amid Rising Femicides
Brazil’s senate debates establishing a permanent national policy to address rising gender violence and femicide rates, emphasizing sustained government action and legal protection for women.
- • Brazil recorded 1,492 femicides in 2024, the highest since 2015.
- • An estimated 822,000 rapes occur annually in Brazil, with significant underreporting.
- • Only 30% of municipalities have specialized services for women facing violence.
- • The proposed law aims to guarantee permanent, continuous public policies against gender violence independent of government changes.
Key details
On June 18, Brazil's Human Rights Commission (CDH) held a critical public hearing addressing the urgent need for permanent policies to combat gender-based violence. Triggered by Senator Paulo Paim's initiative, the meeting focused on Project Law 1.025/2026 which aims to establish a National Policy to Combat Violence Against Women.
Senator Paim highlighted the alarming increase in femicides, with Brazil registering 1,492 cases in 2024—the highest since the crime’s classification in 2015. He outlined that the national femicide rate stands at 1.4 per 100,000 women and revealed a disproportionately higher mortality rate among Black women, approximately 67% greater than that of non-Black women. Furthermore, he emphasized that millions of women face daily physical, psychological, moral, patrimonial, and sexual violence.
Supporting the severity of the issue, researcher Danilo Santa Cruz Coelho of Ipea disclosed that Brazil experiences roughly 822,000 rapes annually, equivalent to nearly two incidents per minute. He attributes this high rate partly to substantial underreporting rooted in historical and cultural distrust towards institutions.
Mia Costa, a public manager and one of the policy's architects, argued that existing protection mechanisms remain insufficient and underscored the necessity of continuous and standardized public policies. Currently, only 30% of Brazilian municipalities provide specialized support services for women in violent situations, and many policies lack permanence.
Estela Bezerra from the Ministry of Women affirmed that the proposed law would legitimize ongoing government actions and ensure legal continuity. CDH President Damares Alves cautioned that political changes risk undermining gender violence policies, advocating the project's institutionalization to safeguard sustainability. Sociologist Wilma Reis echoed the call for a stronger federal pact with dedicated budget allocations, stressing the importance of preventive strategies alongside punitive measures as the country marks 20 years since the Maria da Penha Law.
These developments underscore Brazil’s urgent commitment to an enduring, federally supported framework to effectively combat gender violence, protect victims, and unify efforts across government levels.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
