Thursday, October 1, 2026 - With Brazil’s presidential election approaching on October 4, violence against women has become a major campaign issue, putting women voters at the center of the contest.
Women account for about 53% of Brazil’s electorate, while a 2025 report recorded 1,571 femicides—the highest annual figure since the crime was defined in law in 2015.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro are offering different approaches. Lula has pledged to expand existing protections, including real-time monitoring of offenders under electronic surveillance.
Bolsonaro has proposed tougher punishment for sex offenders, expanded shelters and an artificial-intelligence service designed to help victims report violence and seek protective measures.
The campaign promises come as activists demand more than election-season commitments, calling for funding, stronger enforcement and policies that address the wider causes of violence.
Women remain underrepresented in Brazil’s political institutions, with women holding about 19% of parliamentary seats, while the number of female candidates for the lower house has fallen compared with 2022.
The election is therefore putting two issues in sharp focus: how candidates plan to protect women and whether those promises will translate into concrete action.
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