Domestic violence, particularly against women and children, kills more than war. A study carried out last year found that aggression against women costs the world economy more than $8 trillion per year. This study urged the United Nations (UN) to pay more attention to domestic abuse, which receives less attention than armed conflicts such as Syria and Ukraine.
In Brazil, violence against women is a common practice. For every 100,000 women, four of them are murdered every year. This places Brazil seventh in the world for this type of crime. Many Brazilians suffer more violence at home than in public spaces, and they do not feel safe living with their own husbands.
Last week, The House of Representatives proposed a bill that increases the penalty for men who commit these crimes against women. This bill had already been approved by the Senate and now it is waiting for Presidential approval. Its text considers domestic violence as contempt and discrimination against womanhood. Once this proposal is approved, this crime will be included in the Penal Code and it will be considered as a heinous crime. Mrs Maria do Rosário, Former Minister for Human Rights, said, “It [bill] will penalize women’s deaths due to violence.”
Many Brazilians are waiting for their reality to change with this bill and hoping that the perpetrators will now be duly punished.