Lei Maria da Penha
Brazilian law against domestic violence
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Key Takeaways
- The Lei Maria da Penha (Portuguese: [ˈlej mɐˈɾi.
- 11,340 of 7 August 2006, targets gender based violence in Brazil, with the specific aim of reducing domestic violence in the country.
- The law is named after Brazilian activist Maria da Penha Maia, who herself was a victim of domestic violence.
- Domestic violence can be defined as, “physical, sexual, and verbal aggression…typical of sexism and a way to strengthen men's power within the household, especially if they feel economically insecure.
- In early 2017, an in-depth examination of gender based violence in Brazil determined that only a quarter of women who experience violence by the hands of an intimate partner report incidents to the authorities.
The Lei Maria da Penha (Portuguese: [ˈlej mɐˈɾi.ɐ dɐ ˈpẽɲɐ], Maria da Penha Law), officially Law No. 11,340 of 7 August 2006, targets gender based violence in Brazil, with the specific aim of reducing domestic violence in the country. Sanctioned on 7 August 2006 by president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and subsequently implemented on 22 September 2006, the law is an important contribution to an international movement of criminalizing violence against women. The law is named after Brazilian activist Maria da Penha Maia, who herself was a victim of domestic violence.
Background
Violence against women, specifically domestic violence, remains a pervasive issue in Latin America. Domestic violence can be defined as, “physical, sexual, and verbal aggression…typical of sexism and a way to strengthen men's power within the household, especially if they feel economically insecure.” According to the Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública, 66% of Brazilian men have perpetrated violence against a woman in his community and 70% of Brazilian women identified as having experienced some form of violence in a public space before the age of 24. In early 2017, an in-depth examination of gender based violence in Brazil determined that only a quarter of women who experience violence by the hands of an intimate partner report incidents to the authorities. Despite strong statistical evidence supporting widespread violence against women in Brazilian households, few legal initiatives existed in Brazil to challenge this systematic violence against women. Until 2009, domestic abuse could be dismissed by the court if the woman was not deemed to be “honest.”
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