Brazil top court strengthens protections for women against violent men News
Brazil top court strengthens protections for women against violent men

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) on Wednesday unanimously expanded the scope of the landmark Maria da Penha Law (Law 11.340/2006), ensuring women are protected from gender-based violence not only in domestic settings but also in public, professional, political, and community spaces.

The STF ruled that protective measures under the law apply to all forms of gender-based violence, not just domestic or intimate partner violence. The court expanded the scope by relying on international treaties on fundamental human rights, including the Belém do Pará Convention.

The convention defines gender-based violence to comprise violence in workplaces, schools, communities, and political spaces. It allows for protection during elections, addressing violence against female candidates. The STF provided protective measures such as restraining orders, electronic monitoring, removal of aggressors, and preventive detention.

In the first half of 2026, 340,000 urgent protective measures for women were granted a 170 percent increase compared to 2020 through the Maria da Penha Law.

Justice Edson Fachin also cited data from the 2026 Atlas of Violence prepared by the Institute for Applied Economic Research, which found that nearly 294,000 women were victims of non-lethal violence in Brazil in 2026. 64 percent occurred in domestic settings, but many cases arose in public and institutional spaces.

Justice Cármen Lúcia emphasized that femicide and harassment often occur outside the home, requiring broader legal protection. The Brazilian Justice said, “With this ruling, this Supreme Court shows it is not blind or deaf to all this happening against all of us women.”

Brazil’s ruling is reinforced by international human rights law, which mandates states to protect women from violence in both public and private spheres. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) obligates states to eliminate discrimination and ensure equality in law and practice. This decision aligns with Article 2 of CEDAW, requiring effective legal protection against gender-based violence.

THIS DAY @ LAW

American Bar Assocation founded

The American Bar Association (ABA) was founded on August 21, 1878, by a group of 75 lawyers. The organization would become the US's foremost association of attorneys, although its membership declined substantially from 2009 to 2019. Learn more about the history of the ABA.

American Bar Association organized

On August 21, 1878, the American Bar Association was organized at a meeting in Saratoga Springs, New York.

The original ABA constitution, which is still substantially the charter of the association, defined its mission as "the advancement of the science of jurisprudence, the promotion of the administration of justice and a uniformity of legislation throughout the country....".

Dumbarton Oaks Conference opens

On August 21, 1944, the Washington Conversations on International Peace and Security opened in the Dumbarton Oaks mansion in Washington, DC, US. From the opening of the conference until its close on October 7, representatives of the US, USSR, the UK, and the Republic of China laid the groundwork for the United Nations and the post-WWII world. Learn more about the Dumbarton Oaks Conference from the United Nations.