Gender-based violence reporting trends in Brazil

Data from Brazil’s Ligue 180 helpline indicates a 14.7% increase in gender-based violence reports during the first seven months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. The Ministry of Women reported that over 98,000 of the 1 million total contacts were classified as violence reports.

Most incidents occurred in domestic settings, accounting for 71.7% of cases. Psychological violence was identified as the most frequently reported type of abuse, followed by domestic, physical, moral, and patrimonial violence. While violence reports rose, approximately 84.22% of the helpline’s total volume consisted of inquiries regarding protection networks and women’s policies.

State-level data shows the highest volume of service contacts occurred in São Paulo, followed by Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais. Most violence reports fall under the Maria da Penha Law.

In response to evolving threats, the Brazilian federal government—via the Presidency, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Women—has issued a formal request to digital platforms to disclose their reporting channels and mechanisms for addressing violence against women in digital environments. In a joint official letter, the Secretariats of Digital Policies, Digital Rights, and the Secretariat for Confronting Violence against Women requested that companies respond within a suggested 15-day period.

The government aims to improve the quality of assistance provided by the Ligue 180 service by enabling better guidance for victims of online violence. The request seeks transparency regarding the processing of unauthorized disclosures of intimate content, average analysis times for reports, and mechanisms to prevent the re-circulation of removed content. Furthermore, authorities are seeking clarification on how platforms handle harassment, gender-based political violence, and content manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence. Companies are also required to designate a focal point in Brazil to facilitate communication with public authorities.