Brazil's Chamber approves urgency for misogyny criminalisation bill

The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies voted 293‑158 to approve an urgency regime for PL 896/23, a bill that would criminalise the incitement of violence "because of a woman's condition". The proposal, authored by Senator Ana Paula Lobato (PSB), seeks to treat misogyny on par with racism, prescribing two to five years' imprisonment and adding aggravated offences for online harassment, monetised hate content and stalking.

Deputy Tabata Amaral (PSB), the bill’s rapporteur, said the urgency request was made to avoid a parliamentary recess and to counter obstruction by evangelical and conservative deputies, who argue the measure threatens religious freedom. The legislation was previously approved unanimously in the Senate but faced delays in the lower house. A recent study by the University of Rio de Janeiro’s NetLab highlighted an 88% rise in misogynist YouTube channels between 2022 and 2024, linking such digital hate to increased violence against women.

Opposition figures, including Nikolas Ferreira and Júlia Zanatta, have argued the bill could set a dangerous precedent for restricting speech. Supporters maintain that the law targets serious conduct, not frivolous jokes, and aims to protect women's constitutional rights, including the right to vote.