20 Years of Lei Maria da Penha: Protections Expanded but Feminicides Rise

Overview

• The law marked its 20th anniversary on August 7, 2026, a moment noted by courts, lawyers and rights groups for broad legal reforms that made violence against women a state responsibility.
• The National Justice Council reported that courts granted nearly 337,000 protective orders from January through June 2026, while the judiciary received about 596,748 new Maria da Penha cases in the same period.
• Data from the Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública show 1,571 feminicides in 2025, the highest on record, with most killings carried out by current or former partners and 62.5% occurring in victims’ homes.
• Effectiveness gaps are clear: 8.8% of women killed in 2025 had active protective orders and recorded breaches of those orders rose 16.7%, while states report shortages of monitoring devices and personnel to enforce rulings.
• Experts and local programs say lasting progress needs upstream measures such as care policies, economic support and education to reduce dependency, plus better integration of police, health and social services to prevent escalation.