Amazonas Public Defender's Office launches project for victims of femicide

The Amazonas Public Defender's Office (DPAM) has introduced the ‘Órfãos do Feminicídio’ (Orphans of Femicide) project. This initiative provides legal and psychosocial support to children and adolescents who have lost their mothers to gender-based violence.

The project was presented during a seminar hosted by the Amazonas Court of Justice to mark 20 years of the Maria da Penha Law. This comes amid data showing that 73% of women in Amazonas report having little knowledge regarding the protections offered by the law.

In the Legal Amazon region, femicide rates remain high, with states like Acre and Rondônia reporting rates more than double the national average. Challenges in addressing this violence include insufficient infrastructure, as there are only 66 specialized police stations serving the entire Northern region, leaving many rural, indigenous, and riverside communities vulnerable.