Brazil Maria da Penha Law 20‑Year Commemoration

In late July 2026 the Federal District education authority opened registration for the “Maria da Penha na Escola” program, offering two 120‑hour hybrid courses that begin on 18 August to train educators and protection‑network staff on identifying and responding to sexual violence in schools and violence against women.

Early August saw a two‑day seminar in Campo Grande marking the law’s 20th anniversary, organized by the Casa da Mulher Brasileira and the Secretaria Executiva da Mulher, gathering specialists, service professionals, students and community members to review achievements and ongoing challenges.

The Federal University of Uberlândia hosted a public lecture on violence against women, while the Superior Tribunal of Justice’s Cultural Space launched a collective volume honoring two decades of the Maria da Penha Law. Both events were coordinated by legal and academic networks and aimed to disseminate research, policy analysis and recommendations for further protecting women.

During the commemoration, officials highlighted a surge in femicide, reporting 51 cases in Bahia in the first half of 2026 and a national total of 741 female victims—about four deaths per day. The Public Ministry recorded 27,916 protective‑measure requests and over 10,000 domestic‑violence complaints. A 2026 amendment (Law 15.383) introduced electronic monitoring of aggressors as an autonomous protective measure, and the Public Ministry of Santa Catarina urged schools in Chapecó to adopt permanent gender‑based‑violence education, citing article 8 of the law.

Together, the training courses, seminars, lectures, book launch, statistical briefings and new legal tools illustrate a coordinated national effort to reinforce the law’s impact, expand preventive education in schools, and adapt policy responses to rising gender‑based violence.