March to End Violence Against Women Takes Over Paulista Avenue in São Paulo

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Hundreds of women took part in the third edition of the Walk for the End of Violence against Women on Sunday morning, December 8th, at Paulista Avenue. The march took place in more than 26 Brazilian cities and in some locations abroad. The walk is part of the 16 Days of Activism for the End of Violence against Women and was organized by the Women of Brazil Group.

The march participants met in the Cyclist’s Square, where there was also an open-air exhibition of ‘Corpos das Penhas’, simulating the bodies of women and including information such as the names, age, number of children and the type of weapon with which each was murdered. This information depicts real cases.

“This march is intended to raise society’s awareness as to the gravity of the problem of violence against women in all its forms,” said Raquel Preto, who represents the Committee to Fight Violence of the Women’s Group in Brazil. “Getting pushed or slapped by your husband is not normal. This form of naturalization cannot exist. And this is the goal of such a march: to make it very clear to every woman that it is not natural to be beaten, punched or raped,” she added.

“Every two hours, a woman is a victim of femicide. Every hour, four girls are victims of rape. So we can’t just stand still. We have to speak out to demand public policies designed to fight the end of violence against women,” said Elizabete Scheibmayr, who also represents the Committee to Fight Violence of the Women of Brazil Group.

Raquel and Elizabete encourage women who are victims of violence to look for available support networks to become empowered and to report violence. “The first thing is to have the courage, to know that there is a support network and to denounce violence. And those who also witness violence need to report it,” said Elizabete.

“Women must seek help. They must go to a police station, to a CRAS (Social Assistance Reference Center), which provides social support services. A victim of sexual violence must go to a hospital, seek support from friends and family and have the strength to denounce [the perpetrator] and no longer accept the cycle of violence,” she said.

Dressed in an orange T-shirt with words that called for an end to femicide and violence and with shouts of ‘Together, We Are Stronger’, the women walked to the Casa das Rosas, where the march ended with a round of applause.

Source: Agência Brasil