Policies in Favor of Women Return to Brazil: Lula

On International Women's Day, Brazilian President Lula da Silva announced policy actions to end wage inequality, fight gender violence, and guarantee reproductive health.

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During a ceremony held at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, the leftist leader presented a bill in favor of gender equality, which will equalize salaries between men and women who perform the same function.

This proposal includes mechanisms to oversee companies and achieve greater transparency in salary information. Currently, due to deficiencies in the Brazilian legal framework, women receive on average 22 percent less salary than men for the same job.

Other actions are related to the free distribution of sanitary napkins, the construction of 1,189 nurseries, and the ratification of pro-women international conventions.

Lula will also allocate US$72 million to relaunch the "Live Without Violence" program and build 40 "Brazilian Women's Houses," where specialized personnel will offer comprehensive care to victims of gender-related violence.

"Every day women are murdered in Brazil for being women. In 2022, six women were murdered every day. Fighting femicides is an urgent political struggle," Women's Minister Aparecida Goncalves said and proposed a "social pact" to combat misogyny because "contempt and hatred of women cannot be naturalized".

The pro-women interventions also include a plan to fight sexual and moral harassment in the federal administration, the establishment of maternity leave for elite athletes, training for over 40,000 women in vulnerable situations, and incentives for scientists, filmmakers and writers.

Lula also established "Marielle Franco Day" to confront political violence based on gender and race. This day will be celebrated on March 14, the date when Socialist councilor Franco was shot dead by far-right militias in Rio de Janeiro.