For an end to all forms of violence against women

If Brazilian women continue to suffer violence, it is not for lack of a law to protect them, nor is it due to lack of knowledge of that law. The Maria da Penha Law (11.340/06) enacted in 2006 is already known to 80% of Brazilians, according to recent surveys by Brazil’s Ibope and the Patrícia Galvão Institute. The issue here is its enforcement.

That has meant that the Brazilian chapter of the international women’s rights campaign 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women is different this year. While last year the campaign focused on raising awareness of the law, this year activists focus on demanding that Brazilian society commit itself to enforcing it. Its slogan is “There are times when your attitude makes all the difference. The Maria da Penha law, act on it!”

Created in 1991 by the Center for Womens’ Global Leadership to contribute to the eradication of violence against women the world over, the 16 days of Activism campaign is held yearly from November 25 to December 10 in 154 countries. In Brazil it was launched a few days earlier on November 20th, Black Awareness Day, to honor the women who are doubly discriminated in the nation, for their gender and their color.

The campaign has been led by Ações em Gênero, Cidadania e Desenvolvimento, Agende, (or Actions in Gender, Citizenship and Development) since 2003, and over the past two years allied to Brazil’s federal agency Secretaria Especial de Políticas para as Mulheres, SPM, (or the Special Office for Policy for Women). Campaign partners include executive and judicial bodies, public, state and private entities, representatives of the United Nations in Brazil, as well as national women’s and human rights organizations.

According to Kátia Guimarães, director of SPM’s SubOffice for Combating Violence Against Women, (Subsecretaria de Enfrentamento à Violência contra a Mulher), the fact the population is acquainted with the Maria da Penha Law has moved the campaign into new ground. “The goal here is to call on society and specific social actors to help enforce the law and the need to make a commitment to it.”

In Guimarães’ view, some judges still resist seeing the law as an effective preventative and punitive tool. “They are on the whole still very conservative. Our goal now is to change mindsets. We want to prod and constrain those who are not enforcing the law as they should,” said Guimarães.

The campaign has produced a wealth of material that includes posters, calendars, and debating kits with short films and radio spots recounting the experiences of 16 people from different segments of society who have experienced violence or who have supported female victims. Among them a victim, a victim’s father, a police officer, a dial 180 call attendant, members of the justice system, actors, artists, community activists, and members of NGOs. The kits are in open source code, so that local administrations can adapt them to their constituency.

Crosscutting Policies

The 2008 campaign coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights and with the 20th anniversary of Brazil’s current Federal Constitution, bastions for the promotion of equal rights.

According to the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women – the 1994 Convention of Belem do Para– the most common forms of violence against women are physical, sexual and psychological aggressions. But there are other forms of violence against women that although less prevalent, or less notified, must also be combated. This is the case of what Brazilians describe as patrimonial violence psychological harassment and institutional violence.

 “Violence has various aspects. There is what we call psycological harassment, when women are offended, threatened, belittled, there is what we call patrimonial violence, such as when a woman’s documents are withheld from her, which is a form of imprisonment. The fact is that today there are solutions for them in Brazil in the form of public policy,” said Kátia.

Men and the interior: New fronts

In the past two months, two new fronts have been opened in the 16 day campaign. The website www.homenspelofimdaviolencia.com.br was launched October 31, as a vehicle for men’s support. The initiative is a response to the UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon’s worldwide call on national leaders to Unite to End Violence Against Women.

By signing up on the website, men make a public commitment to do their part in backing the Maria da Penha Law, and getting public policy out of paper and into action. The list is headed by Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and currently has a further 28 thousand signatures, among them congressmen and famous artists and athletes.

The other campaign, launched November 27th at Rio de Janeiro’s Family Agriculture Fair, focuses on the protection of women in the interior and in the forests. Radio spots are broadcast in remote locations for rural workers. “There is today a new awareness of the rights of the female laborer in the interior and in the forests. She is of vital importance for the nation, despite not being at the core of public policy. These women are highly exploited and enslaved for labor in these areas. Women in mining for example, they are relegated the left-overs,” said Guimarães.

Women’s hotline in its third year

The Women’s Hotline (Central de Atendimento à Mulher) – Dial 180, belongs to the SPM, and is now entering its fourth year of existence. The hotline is available everyday, 24 hours a day, free or charge.

Call center operators are trained in gender issues, in government policy for women, in guidelines to combat violence against women, and most especially, in how to receive complaints and what to do when a woman is at risk. Their data bank has over 260 questions and answers prepared based on SPM and its Ombudsman’s information.

Calls can be placed by the women at risk themselves or anyone who witnesses violence against women.

From January to October 2008, the Hotline has fielded 216,006 calls, a growth of 39.4% over the previous year. The majority of calls (42.89% or 92,638 calls) concerned inquiries about the Maria da Penha Law. The Brazilian states to make the most calls were São Paulo (33.8%), Rio de Janeiro (9.4%), Bahia (6.7%), Minas Gerais (6.6%) and Rio Grande do Sul (5.8%).  More details below.

Frequency of complaints:

63,6% of callers stated they are subjected to aggression daily, and 16.3% weekly.

Types of Violence:

18,920 reports were recorded in the period from January to October 2008. The breakdown is as follows:

Physical assault: 10,905 (57.6%)
Psychological violence: 1,551 (8.2%)
Sexual assault: 367 (1.9%)
Patrimonial violence: 335 (1.8%)
Enprisonment: 147 (0.8%)
Threats : 4,826 (25.5%)

A profile of hotline users:

Stated colour, Black: 38%
Age: 20 to 40 year olds: 51,3%
Marital Status: 22,9% are married
Education: 32.9% have some or all primary schooling.
Who are the aggressors? 62.9% are partners

(Information provided by Agende and SPM)

Translation by Lis Horta Moriconi