Brazil Public Defenders Roll Out Nationwide Paternity Recognition Campaign
The national "Meu Pai tem Nome" campaign, coordinated by the Conselho Nacional das Defensoras e Defensores Públicos‑Gerais (Condege), began on 1 August 2024 to offer free DNA testing, legal and psychosocial assistance for individuals seeking recognition of paternity or maternity. The initiative aims to regularise civil registration for children whose birth certificates lack a father’s name.
In the state of São Paulo, a mutirão was held at the Defensoria Pública office in Taubaté, with registration open until 30 July through the virtual assistant Júlia. In Rio de Janeiro, the campaign set up a kiosk at the Carioca/Centro Metro station on 31 July, with results to be delivered on 15 August at the São Januário stadium. In the Distrito Federal, the Defensoria Pública hosted the event at its Núcleo de Atendimento Integrado on 1 August, providing on‑site DNA collection and mediation services.
Official data show that 173,112 children were registered without a father’s name nationwide in 2025 (6.9 % of births), with the state of Rio de Janeiro accounting for 12,883 such cases (7.77 %). The campaign seeks to ensure rights to inheritance, social benefits, and family identity for affected families across Brazil.
Entities: Conselho Nacional das Defensoras e Defensores Públicos‑Gerais (Condege) · Defensoria Pública do Distrito Federal · Defensoria Pública do Estado de São Paulo · Defensoria Pública do Estado do Rio de Janeiro · Júlia (virtual assistant)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A mutirão for the campaign was held on 1 August 2024 at the Defensoria Pública office in Taubaté, São Paulo.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 12,883 children were registered without a father's name in the state of Rio de Janeiro, representing 7.77 % of births.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The 'Meu Pai tem Nome' campaign is a national initiative coordinated by the Conselho Nacional das Defensoras e Defensores Públicos‑Gerais (Condege).
- [● 3 SOURCES] The campaign offers free DNA testing, legal, and psychosocial assistance for paternity or maternity recognition.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Registrations for the campaign were accepted until 30 July 2024 through the virtual assistant named Júlia.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] On 1 August 2024 the campaign operated at the Núcleo de Atendimento Integrado in the Distrito Federal.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] On 31 July 2024 the campaign set up a kiosk at the Carioca/Centro Metro station in Rio de Janeiro offering free DNA tests.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 173,112 children were registered without a father's name in Brazil in 2025, representing 6.9 % of births.