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| Brazilian women are entering jobs once reserved for men |
Brazil has
pioneered some of Latin America's most advanced legislation and mechanisms to
ensure women's rights and gender equality. But there is still a lot of work to
be done.
Funk and
rap music in Brazil often portrays women as sexual objects. But times are
changing and women are talking back. With the hit song ‘I’m ugly but I’m
trendy’, rebellious female MC Tati Quebra-Barraco became the first female
rapper to break into Brazil’s funk music scene. She was a political sensation,
using her lyrics to reverse the trend and make men the sexual objects.
Women in
Brazil are increasingly taking jobs in fields that, until recently, were
dominated by men. They're becoming bus or cab drivers, starting out in the
police force or working as security guards and construction workers. One of the
most symbolic advances is the recent election of the first female president of
Brazil, Dilma Rousseff.
Women
leaders step forward
In her
inauguration speech, in January of this year, Rousseff acknowledged this
symbolism.
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| Will Brazil's first female president usher in a new era of women's rights? |
"I
want to state my first commitment after the elections: to honor Brazil's women
so that today's unprecedented result becomes a normal event," she told
supporters after she was sworn in. "I would very much like for parents to
look into their daughters' eyes and say, yes women can."
Since
taking office in January, the new president has named 10 female ministers to
serve in the 38-member cabinet. That's double the number of ministers serving
under her predecessor and mentor, Lula da Silva, during his eight years in
power. In 2000, there were no women in the cabinet. Today, women hold key
positions in offices like the Ministry of Institutional Affairs, which is in
charge of negotiations with Brazil’s Congress and the Cabinet Chief.
'Not a
revolution'
But while
women in public office help raise the profile of women in politics, Silvia
Pimentel from the United Nation's Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women believes the election of Dilma as the first female
president is not necessarily a result of more participation and conscience on
the part of female voters in Brazil.
"[Dilma]
is a very well prepared woman, everybody knows, but she would never be there if
President Lula hadn't appointed her," Pimentel told Deutsche Welle.
"So it's not a revolution or an evolution that women are now coming like
this to high positions in my country."
The case of
Maria da Penha
Brazil has
pioneered some of Latin America's most advanced legislation and mechanisms to
ensure women's rights and gender equality. But there is still a lot of work to
be done. A survey conducted by the Fundacao Perseu Abramo foundation estimates
more than 2 million women are subjected to sexual and domestic violence or psychological abuse
every year. In 2009, more than 200,000 women called a government-run hotline to
report cases of assault and violence.
A turning
point in the fight against violence towards women in Brazil was the case of
Maria da Penha, who is considered one of the country’s most important voices in
the struggle for women's rights. The 60 year-old pharmacist has used her
experience of spousal violence to call for better protection of women by the
police and the courts.
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| Maria da Penha is a heroine for women's rights in Brazil |
"I
thought my marriage would last forever … but in 1983, I woke up with a bullet
in my back. I was shot by my husband," she explained.
In the
early 1980s, her then-husband beat Maria da Penha continuously and finally
attempted to murder her twice, causing her to become a paraplegic. But it took
eight years for the case to be heard and even though her husband was found
guilty, he was released following an appeal.
"I was
very disappointed because he could walk out free like that,” Penha said. But
she refused to give up. She wrote a book describing the brutality her husband
inflicted on her and her daughters and became a voice for abused women across
the country.
Justice at
last
Maria da
Penha's case was sent to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which said
that Brazil’s failure to take legal action indicated the country condoned the
violence. The court went on to say that Brazilian authorities had added to Maria
da Penha's suffering with their failure to carry out justice.
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| The Maria da Penha law provides better access to justice for women in Brazil |
This
landmark ruling contributed to the international consensus that governments
around the globe have a legal obligation to take active measures in protecting
women's rights.
And in
2006, President Lula da Silva signed the "Maria da Penha law", with
the intent of reducing domestic violence. Among the changes initiated by the
new law was an increase in punishment for those who are violent towards women,
and protective measures for family members at risk of becoming victims of
domestic violence.
Maria da
Penha is just one of the thousands of strong women standing up and making a
difference for justice and equal rights throughout Latin America. Their
struggle and contributions are already bearing fruit for generations of women
on the continent and around the world.
Author: Milton Bragatti (sjt)
Editor: Saroja Coelho
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