For demographer Jackeline Romio, Brazil is experiencing an epidemic of gender violence. In 2024, according to data from the Brazilian Public Security Directory, 1,492 women were murdered because they were women in the country. The worst rate since 2015, when the law that qualified the crime was sanctioned.
In recent weeks, Brazil has witnessed consecutive cases of violence against women and femicide. From November 29 to December 1, a woman was hit and dragged by a moving car driven by her ex-boyfriend and another was shot by an ex-partner. According to experts, most crimes occur in the home and are committed by family members or partners of victims.
Shortly before the end of 2025, data from the São Paulo Public Security Secretariat indicates an increase in feminicides in the capital. 53 such murders were recorded, a record in the historic series. The increase in cases of violence gave rise to demonstrations in the country this Saturday (6) and Sunday (7).
On November 26, Rio de Janeiro Governor Cláudio Castro (PL) approved a bill authorizing the sale and use of sprays made from plant extracts, such as pepper spray, for women. The product will be sold in pharmacies and reserved for women over 18 years old.
In an article published in Leafstate deputy Márcio Nakashima (PDT-SP), author of a bill that regulates the sale of these sprays in SP, says non-lethal weapons contribute to the defense of women.
Isabela Del Monde, lawyer, co-founder of the Feminist Lawyers Network and coordinator of Me Too Brasil, disagrees. For her, although there are stories of problem solving involving products such as pepper spray, specific cases “do not have the robustness necessary to become effective public safety policy for all women.”
Experts point out that lack of budgetary prioritization and social omission make the problem worse.
Faced with this scenario, what is your opinion, reader? Should women have easier access to non-lethal weapons to defend themselves? What measures should be taken to alleviate the security problem faced by women? Reply on this form.
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