National Pact to Combat Femicides

Every day, around four women are murdered in Brazil simply for being women. We already know this. Now, let’s talk about the role of the current Government. And why not, the State itself?

This figure is not an abstraction. It reveals a structural, persistent, and deeply unequal form of violence that continues to shape the lives of women and girls across the country.

According to recent data from the Public Security Map, Brazil recorded approximately 1,450 femicides in a single year. Research by DataSenado indicates that more than a quarter of Brazilian women have experienced some form of domestic or family violence. These numbers make it clear that this is not about isolated cases, but about a systemic problem that demands responses proportional to its scale.

In this context, the launch of the National Pact to Combat Femicides on February 4 represents an important step. It acknowledges that violence against women cannot be treated as a private matter and that addressing femicide must be a State priority, requiring coordination among the three branches of government and integrated public policies.

Based on my experience I could affirm that pacts are necessary, but they only produce real change when accompanied by adequate funding, effective implementation, strengthened protection networks, and a focus on the territories where inequalities are most severe. Without this, we risk turning public commitments into empty promises.

Protecting women’s lives is a collective responsibility. There can be no true democracy while women continue to live at risk simply for existing.