Brazilian towns roll out women‑violence awareness workshops in Poços de Caldas and Candelária

In Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, the "Fala, Mulher!" project created by actress, writer and playwright Beatriz Aquino is bringing literature workshops to local social assistance centers (CRAS) to empower women. The first session was held on 29 July and a follow‑up workshop is scheduled for 5 August, inviting participants to write about their experiences and strengthen community ties. Aquino said, “When literature reaches the neighborhoods, it ceases to be a privilege and becomes a right.”

Meanwhile, the municipality of Candelária in Rio Grande do Sul, together with the Municipal Council of Women’s Rights (COMDIM), is conducting a series of "Agosto Lilás" (Purple August) activities in four neighborhoods on 5, 12, 19 and 26 August. The program provides information, counseling and referrals to official hotlines (180) and police (190) to support women facing physical, psychological, sexual, moral or patrimonial violence and to reinforce the local protection network.