‘Femicide does not start on the day of the crime’: A Brazilian researcher’s view on gender violence in her country

December 12, 2025

In early November 2025, thousands of Brazilians protested widespread violence against women following a disturbing wave of brutal cases, including murders, kidnappings, and assaults that dominated national news. According to Isabella Matosinhos, a researcher at the Brazilian Forum for Public Security, the current situation reflects not a sudden spike but rather the convergence of historically high violence levels, increased public visibility, and particularly cruel recent cases that have galvanized public outrage. Brazil recorded 1,492 femicides in 2024—the highest number since the femicide law passed in 2015—indicating that despite legislative advances and increased penalties, the country struggles with systemic implementation failures, including inconsistent case classification across states, inadequate protective measure enforcement, and fragmented support networks.

Who is affected

Women and girls throughout Brazil, particularly victims of psychological violence, threats, domestic abuse, and femicide
An 18-year-old trans woman whose killer was released after bringing her body to police
A 25-year-old woman who died falling from a building after being beaten
Women who had Emergency Protective Orders (EPMs) but were still killed
Over 1,400 women murdered in femicides in 2024
Women in states with poor classification systems where femicides are misreported as "simple homicides"
Women in municipalities lacking specialized police stations, shelters, and support services
Families of victims
Civil society organizations advocating for women's rights

What action is being taken

Thousands of Brazilians are protesting in the streets to call attention to violence against women
The Brazilian Forum for Public Security is collecting, standardizing, and making comparable data from all 27 states
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and other prominent men are publicly discussing men's role in addressing violence against women
Society is mobilizing with greater press attention and growing awareness that these cases represent structural patterns rather than isolated incidents

Why it matters

This situation matters because it exposes the failure of legislative measures alone to protect women, demonstrating that Brazil's femicide problem is deeply rooted in structural gender inequalities and institutional weaknesses. The record-breaking femicide numbers ten years after implementing specific legislation reveal critical gaps in prevention, protection, and intervention before violence escalates to lethal outcomes. Misogynistic public discourse from political figures and influencers creates a cultural environment that legitimizes violence and undermines prevention efforts, normalizing control and psychological abuse as acceptable behavior. The inconsistent data collection and case classification across states—with some classifying over 60% of women's murders as femicides while others classify less than 15%—creates statistical invisibility that compromises effective public policy planning. Without addressing violence at its earliest stages (psychological abuse, control, threats) rather than only punishing after lethal outcomes, and without creating integrated, well-resourced support systems with proper monitoring of protective measures, women remain vulnerable despite legal protections on paper.

What's next

Strengthen prevention through education for gender equality and training professionals in schools, health, and social services to identify early warning signs
Guarantee fast and effective protection by qualifying support networks, expanding shelters beyond urban centers to all types of municipalities, and monitoring compliance with protective measures
Enhance investigation and accountability through specialized police stations, available forensic expertise, structured risk analysis, and teams trained in gender violence
Invest in quality, integrated, and updated data systems capable of guiding public policies and monitoring results
Create integrated coordination between support networks, assistance services, and the justice system
Make violence against women a sustained State priority with stable funding and continuous political commitment rather than a temporary governmental focus

Read full article from source: Global Voices