Exciting news from Brazil! This month, Equality Now had the opportunity to strengthen our ties with civil society allies, government leaders and members of the Brazilian legislature in our quest for equality and inclusion for women and girls.
Recently, we met with parliamentary advisors and allies to present Equality Now’s work and discuss regional and international standards on sexual violence. We identified issues associated with discriminatory laws and practices on sexual violence and underscored the pressing need for changes in Brazil to ensure effective access to justice for victims of sexual violence, both in the legislative realm and in its effective implementation.
We also met separately with the Department of Digital Policies of the Federal Government. We discussed the importance of guaranteeing human rights in our digital world through a feminist and intersectional approach and Brazil’s role as a leader in the Global Digital Compact while supporting a model law to combat digital sexual violence for the Region.
Additionally, we participated in a panel at the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, organized in collaboration with the Parliamentary Front for Women Entrepreneurs, the Women’s Department of the Chamber of Deputies, the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Women of the Federal Senate and Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Defense of Women’s Rights (CLADEM).
At this event, our global executive director, Mona Sinha, stressed the urgency and importance of implementing laws that promote gender equality in Brazil. The discussion addressed critical issues such as violence against women, pay equity, political underrepresentation of women, and online sexual exploitation. The focus was on urging Brazil to prioritize closing the gender parity gap, implementing international standards of consent in cases of sexual violence, addressing discriminatory practices in the workplace, and supporting initiatives such as the Global Digital Compact.
These events represent an important step for Equality Now’s work in Latin America, strengthening partnerships in Brazil and advancing our efforts toward legal and systemic changes to ensure that women and girls live free from violence.
