Nationwide 'Mulheres Vivas' Protests Confront Brazil's Surge in Femicide

Overview

• Demonstrations on Sunday spanned Brasília and cities in at least 20 states, with the first lady Janja and several ministers joining the rally at the capital’s Torre de TV.
• The federal government published social-media guidance on warning signs in abusive relationships, and President Lula urged a tougher national response earlier in the week.
• Active investigations anchor the outcry: a soldier confessed to killing Army corporal Maria de Lourdes Freire Matos in Brasília, a driver was jailed in São Paulo over the attempted feminicide of Tainara Souza Santos, and two Cefet-RJ employees were shot dead by a colleague.
• Official counts cite more than 1,180 feminicides so far in 2025 and roughly 3,000 daily calls to the Ligue 180 helpline, with the Federal District reporting at least 26 cases this year.
• Organizers pressed for 24-hour Women’s Police Stations, immediate specialized care, judicial parity, protection for victims’ children and platform regulation, as experts tied chronic failures to a judiciary with only about 38% women on the bench.