Brazil Strengthens Legal and Institutional Measures Against Political Gender Violence
Brazil intensifies legal and institutional efforts to combat political gender violence, highlighting new legislation, judicial interpretations, and coordinated action to protect women's political rights.
- • MPMG event highlighted political gender violence as a barrier to women's political rights.
- • Law No. 14.192/2021 criminalizes political gender violence, covering harassment, threats, and moral damages.
- • Supreme Court jurisprudence allows reparations for political gender violence without prior damage quantification.
- • The case of Marielle Franco's assassination exemplifies the extreme risks of political gender violence.
- • Coordinated institutional actions seek to strengthen legal protection and promote women's political participation.
Key details
On August 31, the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais (MPMG) hosted a significant event in Belo Horizonte addressing the critical issue of political gender violence and the role of the Public Ministry in combatting it. The discussion centered on how this violence obstructs women's rights to political participation and representation. Regional Attorney Raquel Branquinho Nascimento presented compelling data dispelling myths about women's disinterest in politics, noting women make up over half the population and electorate, nearly 48% of party members, yet face persistent barriers, especially black women who are often invisible in political conversations.
The event also emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts such as the Working Group for the Prevention and Combat of Political Gender Violence, which collaborates with institutions to reinforce legal actions against such violence. Denise Guerzoni, CAOVD coordinator, highlighted structural hurdles women face, including limited access to resources and digital violence, which calls for expanding accountability measures.
Notably, despite Law No. 14.192/2021 criminalizing political gender violence—such as harassment, humiliation, and threats against women candidates and officeholders—cases of violence persist. Legal experts discussed how the law's Article 326-B of the Electoral Code not only criminalizes these acts but also supports moral damage reparations without needing prior quantification of damages. This legal flexibility aligns with Supreme Court jurisprudence equating political gender violence with domestic violence, allowing courts to fix minimum compensation to victims based on express reparations requests.
Cássia Virgínia Gontijo cited the assassination of councilwoman Marielle Franco as a stark example of the extreme risks women face in politics. Closing remarks by Reyvani Jabour Ribeiro connected the fight against political gender violence with broader democratic goals, underlining that democracy cannot be genuine unless women can participate freely and safely without threats or silencing due to their gender.
This comprehensive legal and institutional approach marks an important advancement in protecting women’s political rights in Brazil, emphasizing that tackling gender violence is essential to upholding democracy and ensuring equitable political representation.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
