Protective Measures Expanded to All Forms of Gender-Based Violence

Women in Brazil now have broader access to legal protection against gender-based violence, following a unanimous Supreme Court ruling extending emergency safeguards beyond domestic and family settings.

“Denying access to emergency protective measures for threatened women represents a restrictive interpretation incompatible with the international commitments undertaken by the Brazilian State,” stated Supreme Court President and Justice Edson Fachin, who led the ruling.

The landmark decision expands the scope of the Maria da Penha Law, introduced in 2006, to cover violence occurring in workplaces, communities, institutions, and political environments, regardless of the relationship between victim and aggressor. The ruling follows figures showing that 293,842 women experienced non-lethal violence in Brazil, with 36% of cases occurring outside domestic settings. Courts must now assess urgent protection requests even when they lack jurisdiction, ensuring that women facing immediate threats can receive swift legal safeguards. The decision establishes a nationwide precedent that all courts must follow in similar cases.