Survey Finds More Than Half of Brazilian Women Report Partner Violence at 20-Year Mark of Maria da Penha Law

Overview

• The survey released Wednesday by Instituto Patrícia Galvão and Instituto Locomotiva used 1,500 digital interviews and found 54% of women who have had relationships with men reported violence by a partner or ex-partner, with researchers extrapolating roughly 30 million affected and nearly 48 million when asked about specific situations.
• Psychological violence was the most reported form at 42%, followed by physical (25%), moral (19%), sexual (10%) and patrimonial (9%), and only 39% of women knew the law covers all five types.
• Knowledge of support channels is high — 75% know the Delegacia da Mulher and 83% know about urgent protective measures — yet many women say fear of reprisals (68%), perceived impunity (56%) and slow courts (39%) stop them from reporting.
• Around 70% of women say the Maria da Penha Law has a real impact and 54% feel more protected by it, but 82% state the law alone is not enough, prompting calls for better enforcement, more victim services and prevention campaigns.
• The findings follow a 2025 rise in lethal gender violence and surge in calls to the national helpline, underscoring that stronger coordination of police, courts and social services is needed to turn legal protections into real safety for millions of women.