Brazil municipalities launch initiatives to combat violence against women

Local authorities in Brazil are implementing various initiatives to combat violence against women through legislative discussion and educational outreach.

In Araras, São Paulo, the City Council hosted a session focused on the ‘Agosto Lilás’ campaign. Maria Carolyna Costa, vice-president of the Municipal Council for Women's Rights, highlighted a record increase in feminicides in Brazil, noting 1,571 victims in 2025 according to the Brazilian Public Security Yearbook. The discussion also addressed the expansion of the Maria da Penha Law by the Supreme Federal Court, which now applies to any crime of gender violence, regardless of whether it occurs in a domestic or family setting.

In Itaboraí, the Municipal Secretariat of Education, in partnership with the Secretariat of Social Development, launched an awareness campaign within the Youth and Adult Education (EJA) program. The initiative uses lectures in municipal schools to teach students how to identify different types of violence, recognize warning signs, and understand prevention and confrontation methods. The program aims to foster citizenship and healthy relationships by bringing these discussions into the school environment.