Gender Based Violence Prevention Campaigns in Brazil: Advances and Challenges in the Face of the Far Right's Rise (2000-2023)

Over the past few decades, significant efforts have been made to tackle gender-based violence and bring it out of the private sphere into the public eye, emphasizing the role of society and organizations in its prevention. In Brazil, one of the critical public policies introduced by the Maria da Penha Law is prevention campaigns designed to raise awareness of gender-based violence as a social issue. These campaigns aim to shift public attitudes and norms, helping to reshape how the problem is perceived. By informing individuals about actions they can take to intervene on behalf of victims, the campaigns also seek to change the behavior of those around them—from passive silence and tolerance to active intervention and condemnation. Government agencies play a central role in driving these campaigns forward. In recent years, however, we have witnessed the gender-driven impeachment of Brazil’s first female president and the rise of far-right leadership in the Federal Government. This political shift has been accompanied by an increase in femicides (FBSP, 2023), a trend that contrasts with the decline in other types of homicides in the country. This study aims to analyze the content of public campaigns to prevent gender-based violence in Brazil, launched by federal governments between 2000 and 2023. It seeks to understand how these governments addressed the issue, including what was defined as violence, which the campaigns targeted, and the primary focus of prevention efforts.