In Brazil, NO to femicide!

Demonstration in the center of Brasilia (DF) to denounce femicide and all forms of violence against women,

on December 7, 2025. Photo Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil

From Rio to Recife, Brazilian women are demonstrating against the violence they systematically face. Waving their purple scarves and chanting the names of those who did not survive, they are demanding the same thing everywhere: protection, prevention, and real funding, in the face of violence that has become structural in Brazilian society.

In Rio, São Paulo, Recife, and Brasília, seas of purple scarves and signs reading " Pare de nos matar " ("Stop killing us!") flooded the streets: throughout Brazil, women denounced the explosion of gender-based violence and femicides, following a series of shockingly brutal crimes. Behind the slogans, an entire country is acknowledging that being a woman remains, all too often, a sentence of living under constant threat.

Flagship crimes, national outrage. Among the cases that ignited the protests, the case of Taynara Souza Santos, run over and dragged for nearly a kilometer by her ex-partner in São Paulo, shocked even the authorities, as the young woman had to have both legs amputated. Other women—employees, teachers, mothers—were murdered by colleagues or partners, their names chanted in unison during marches like an open-air memorial.

An epidemic of femicides. The figures for violence against women in Brazil are indeed staggering: more than 1,400 women were killed in 2024, an average of four femicides per day, and more than 1,180 cases have already been recorded for 2025. According to the Brazilian Public Security Forum, more than one in three Brazilian women experienced sexual or gender-based violence in a single year, a record since the beginning of this statistical monitoring.

From the streets to public policy. In demonstrations, feminist groups denounce the culture of machismo, the neglect of the justice system, and the inadequacy of victim protection mechanisms. While Congress begins to discuss measures strengthening these protections, activists reiterate that without adequate funding, proper police training, and a profound transformation of education, no law will suffice to stem this systemic violence, which is structural to Brazilian society.

The writing of humanities

"Canción sin miedo" (Song Without Fear), the feminist anthem by Mexican singer Vivir Quintana, has also resonated strongly in Brazil. The song has become a rallying cry against femicide and violence against women throughout the Spanish-speaking world. It is sung in feminist marches, International Women's Day demonstrations, and "Ni Una Menos" (Not One Less) mobilizations. In Brazil, the song has been adapted into Portuguese under the title "Canção sem Medo" (Song Without Fear), notably by singer Georgia Brown, who created a protest samba used in feminist carnival groups like "Não é Não" (No and No) and in actions against femicide. This version retains the spirit of the original—a collective cry against violence and for justice—but situates the lyrics within the Brazilian reality of femicide and local feminist struggles.