Brazilian Legislature Advances Controversial Women's Rights Measures with Focus on Abortion Access and Rural Empowerment
Brazil's legislature has passed a project complicating abortion access for minors while a new municipal policy seeks to empower rural women in São Luís.
- • The Chamber of Deputies approved a project suspending a Conanda resolution on abortion rights for minors with 317 votes to 111.
- • This suspension could restrict legal abortion access in cases of sexual violence involving minors.
- • Centrist parties largely supported the abortion-related project; left-wing parties opposed it.
- • São Luís councilman Marlon Botão proposed a law to empower rural women through training, entrepreneurship, and violence prevention.
- • The rural women’s policy recognizes their agricultural role and seeks to reduce gender inequalities and promote leadership.
Key details
The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies has recently approved a contentious project that suspends a National Council resolution facilitating legal abortion access for minors, while in São Luís, a municipal law proposal aims to bolster the rights and recognition of women in rural communities. These legislative moves highlight the contrasting approaches to women's rights and reproductive health within Brazil at different government levels.
On November 5, the Chamber of Deputies passed a project suspending a resolution from the National Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents (Conanda) concerning abortion rights for minors, with 317 votes in favor, 111 against, one abstention, and 83 deputies absent. This suspension could significantly hinder access to legal abortion for children and adolescents, especially in cases involving sexual violence. Brazilian law currently permits abortion under three conditions: pregnancy due to sexual violence, risk to the pregnant individual's life, or fetal anencephaly. The project saw strong backing from centrist parties such as PL (with all 74 deputies supporting), PSD, Podemos, Novo, PRD, and Cidadania. Conversely, left-wing parties including PT, PSOL, PCdoB, and Rede largely opposed the measure, with PT voting 60 against 2 in favor. The only abstention was recorded by deputy AJ Albuquerque of PP-CE. This legislative change raises serious concerns over the impacts on minors' reproductive rights and access to healthcare (Source 131588).
In a separate initiative reflecting efforts to empower women, São Luís city councilman Marlon Botão (PSB) has proposed Project Law No. 307/2025 to establish the Municipal Policy for the Valuation of Women in Rural Areas. The aim is to enhance the inclusion of rural women in agriculture, promote their educational opportunities, support entrepreneurship, and combat violence. This policy intends to acknowledge and strengthen rural women's productive roles, providing training, psychosocial support, and improved access to resources. Botão emphasized the historical obstacles rural women face, such as limited access to land, credit, and technical assistance, noting, "Women in the field are true guardians of food production and rural sustainability." The proposal also seeks to reduce gender inequalities and advance female leadership in agriculture, responding to studies showing women constitute a significant share of Brazil’s agricultural workforce but remain underrepresented in land ownership and credit beneficiaries. The policy aims to foster dignified work conditions, social recognition, violence prevention, and educational methods suited for rural contexts (Source 131594).
Together, these legislative developments illustrate the dynamic and sometimes polarized landscape of women's rights in Brazil. While the federal project on abortion access signals potential restrictions and judicial debate ahead, the municipal law proposal demonstrates proactive efforts to empower rural women and promote gender equality at a local level.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.