The United Nation's office on women's rights in Brazil condemned the “sexist political violence” against President Dilma Rousseff, as the leader continues to face attempts to overthrow her.
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“As a defender of women's and girls' rights around the world, U.N. Women condemns all forms of violence against women, including the political violence of a sexist nature directed against President Dilma Rousseff,” Nadine Gasman, head of U.N. Women in Brazil, said in a statement Thursday.
“No political disagreement or protest can justify the trivialization of gender violence – a patriarchal and misogynous practice that invalidates human dignity.”
The comments come as President Rousseff faces impeachment proceedings over alleged manipulations of the budget, which Rousseff denies were illegal or different from standard practice in previous administrations.
She has also been accused of being connected to the massive corruption scandal facing the state-owned oil company Petrobras, despite the fact that investigators have not officially accused her. Rousseff vehemently denies being involved in the scandal.
At least 353 government officials from other political parties are facing corruption and criminal charges, yet the media has consistently chosen to focus on Rousseff's potential involvement and to encourage the otherthrow of the ruling Workers' Party.
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“Why do they want me to resign?” said Rousseff in an interview with the Guardian earlier this week, “Because I'm a woman, fragile. I am not fragile. That is not my life.”
Rousseff, who took office in 2011 and was re-elected in 2014, accuses her opponents of seeking to oust her in a coup, adding that attempts to impeach her “would be a breaking of the democratic order of Brazil.”
Thursday night thousands of Brazilians demonstrated in support of President Rousseff, in response to protests for her removal March 15.
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