Brazil's 5th National Conference Advances Women's Policy with Mixed Progress on Abortion Rights
The 5th National Conference on Women's Policies in Brasília advanced Brazil's women's agenda but saw cautious government stance on abortion rights despite strong support from delegates.
- • Nearly 5,000 women participated in the 5th National Conference on Women's Policies in Brasília.
- • A proposal to broadly decriminalize abortion was approved with 83% support but was not guaranteed inclusion in the final plan by President Lula's government.
- • Key themes included work, health, political representation, and violence against women with inclusive participation from indigenous and LGBTQIA+ delegates.
- • Former president Dilma Rousseff highlighted the event as an expression of participatory democracy amid Brazil's complex political context.
Key details
The 5th National Conference on Women's Policies held in Brasília brought together nearly 5,000 women from diverse backgrounds to define guidelines for Brazil's National Plan for Women's Policies. Over three days, delegates debated critical issues such as work, health, political representation, and violence against women, shaping the framework of upcoming policies.
A landmark proposal advocating broad decriminalization of abortion was approved with 83% support. However, despite this significant approval, the Lula administration chose not to commit to including abortion rights in the final government plan, reflecting the complex social stance on this topic. This hesitance contrasts with the high level of participation and advocacy at the conference, with some women donning green scarves to symbolize the abortion rights movement.
A total of 2,214 delegates voted, including representatives from indigenous and LGBTQIA+ communities, emphasizing the inclusive nature of the event. Former president Dilma Rousseff praised the conference as a strong manifestation of participatory democracy, especially significant given the political setbacks since 2016 and President Lula’s return to power.
The conference also served as a political stage for mobilizing the female electorate ahead of the 2026 elections. Despite progressive movements within the conference, only 17% of Brazilians favor loosening abortion laws, as per Datafolha, underscoring the broader societal division on reproductive rights. The event marked a careful balancing act by the current government, advancing women's policies while navigating contentious issues conservatively.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.