Women’s Month invites us to celebrate women’s achievements, but in Brazil, it also demands a critical look at the past and a present marked by gender inequality. Since the colonial period, Brazilian society has been structured on patriarchal foundations, in which women were always subjected to the will and experiences of the heads of the household, and never to their own. Thus, the legacy that was once given to us helped consolidate a sexist culture, normalizing violence against women and control over women’s bodies.
Although legal and structural advances have been made over the years, violence against women remains a persistent issue in the country. The high rates of feminicide, abuse, and harassment reveal that structural sexism, along with the fragility and lack of protection for victims, still shape relationships and behaviors in society. Reflecting on this trajectory is essential to understanding that, even with all these advances, violence against us continues to be one of the greatest inequalities in Brazil.
A 21st Century Reality
In the 21st century, when discourse about gender equality was the focus of all, more and more, the rates of violence against women continue to increase. The contradiction between progress and reality reveals that the problem lies not only in the absence of laws but also in the persistence of the social structures that naturalize aggression and hinder its interruption, such as the misogynistic Red Pill movement.
The Red Pill group emerged based on the red pill from the movie Matrix, by taking this pill, the protagonist would get to know the “true” world. In our reality, this group of men propagates a conspiracy theory, prejudiced against women, with the narrative that these ideas would be the true way to see the world, without women’s domination.
In this way, this misogynic group perpetuates the sexist, prejudiced, and outdated narrative that is constantly present in our lives as women. And thus, the violence against us worsens every day. For example, the case of the 17-year-old girl who was the victim of a gang rape in Rio de Janeiro, in which one of the aggressors, upon arriving at the police station to give his statement, was wearing a t-shirt with a misogynistic phrase “Regret Nothing” directly related to the influencer Andrew Tate, a public figure who promotes Red Pill rhetoric.
A statistical portrait of Brazilian society
Data from the National Council of Justice (CNJ) shows that feminicide cases have tripled in recent years, and just in January 2026, increased by 3,49%. The index shows a constant growth in cases over five years, from 4,210 in 2020 to 12,012 in 2025. These numbers reinforce that cases of violence against us, women, are not isolated incidents, but are repeated many times, often under the same roof.
Sexual violence has also reached alarming levels. According to the 2024 Brazilian Public Security Year Book, in the same year, 87,545 cases of rape and rape of vulnerable individuals were recorded, the highest number in the historical series. The majority of the victims were girls and women, and more than two-thirds of the crimes occurred in their own homes. The data reveals a disturbing reality: the home, traditionally associated with protection, is one of the most dangerous spaces for women and girls.
Recent cases that gained national attention help substantiate the statistical data. Registered aggressions by security cameras, attacks in public places, or attempted femicides after the end of relationships show that violence against women is not an exception. Still, it is part of a recurring pattern. The difference today is that the technology makes some of these episodes visible, without necessarily leading to an immediate reduction in crime.
why does this violence keep happening? Even with all these laws and measures put in place to protect women
According to Ana Paula de Oliveira Antunes, a family and civil law attorney specialized in violence against women, movements against women have always been violent, but for a long time women were submissive. In other words, these hate-filled discourses and acts of aggression occur through oppression.“The more women are at the forefront of their battles, the more they specialize, the more violence they will suffer. So they return to being submissive to that structural machismo where the man is in charge, and the woman is the one who takes care”. It’s not that these movements are increasing; they are simply being countered by the fact that women simply want to occupy their rightful place in society.
Furthermore, with technology and the internet, this violence and hate speech have gained more visibility and more ways to be combated or, at least, reduced. As Dr. Ana Paula commented, “Now there is also the dissemination of information. Before, there was no internet. Before, we weren’t aware. People couldn’t talk about violence. Women couldn’t discuss the topic. [..] Women can say that there are laws against violence. There are harsher penalties for femicide. And now they record, they film, they report. They seek support. And then the information ends up circulating”.
Therefore, since we still live in a structurally patriarchal society experiencing endemic violence, which hasn’t worsened but has visibly “exploded” – we must support each other. According to Ana Paula, there are essential actions for surviving in this society such as studying domestic violence and violence against women and bringing this topic to social projects in schools, but not just for women to protect themselves, but for boys to know too. “It’s not just for women to protect themselves. It’s for boys to grow up knowing that certain acts, certain words, certain attitudes, reproductions of what they see at home, are acts of violence […] Bringing education about violence to schools and bringing the idea of the Protocol for Judgement with Perspective to all areas of our country”. And just like it’s what society can try to do for now. To reduce our violence rate and work towards encouraging reports.
It is clear that society remains deeply rooted in sexist and oppressive traditions – traditions that we, as a community, have internalized, and that even as initiatives, actions, and laws are enacted, violence continues to rise. That is why we must always support one another, fight, and survive, day after day.
There are Women’s Police Stations located throughout the country, the Maria da Penha Law, signs for help – such as the symbol of a hand opening and closing with the thumb facing the palm – support groups, and advocacy initiatives aimed at improving women’s lives, such as Levante Mulheres Vivas, the movement.
We must not remain silent. Report it: 180.
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The article above was edited by Mariana De Oliver.
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