Brazil advances women’s safety: metro car law and national pact

Brazilian state representative Marta Rodrigues defended the implementation of a women‑only carriage on Salvador’s metro, mandated by Law 9.835/2025. The law, signed in March, is currently suspended by a court injunction after a challenge from the National Association of Passenger Transport on Rails (ANPTrilhos). Rodrigues said the measure was already being coordinated with the concessionaire and the state government and stressed that recent incidents of sexual harassment on the metro “Esse foi o mais recente, mas todo dia alumulam mais casos” highlight its necessity. A hearing on the injunction is scheduled for 12 August.

In a separate national event, Supreme Court minister Alexandre de Moraes, acting as STF president, urged state authorities to join a coordinated pact against gender‑based violence during a ceremony with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Moraes referenced recent Supreme Court rulings that strengthen protections for women and called for cooperation among the three branches of government and the states. Lula signed several measures, including an automatic alimony payment law (PL 4978/2023) and provisions for a hotline and electronic monitoring of aggressors, declaring a goal of “feminicídio zero.”