ВойтиCompanies play key role in combating gender-based violence
In his view, the productive sector must also drive the cultural transformations needed to address the causes of the high number of femicides in the country.
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During the event, attended by representatives from major public and private companies - led by Petrobras and Banco do Brasil - the executive secretary stated that addressing gender-based violence cannot be limited to tightening criminal laws after the fact. In his view, the focus should be on taking preventive action, starting with creating a violence-free workplace.
“What is expected of companies is prevention, intervention, care, and support,” Rosa stated.
At the event, the secretary also argued that companies should ensure the same practices are applied throughout their supply chains, “going beyond their own borders.”
Rosa classified inaction on the issue as an “institutional omission” by companies, calling it an ethical failure. He criticized corporate practices that discourage reporting, expose victims, or fail to hold perpetrators accountable.
According to him, companies that fail to create safe reporting channels or that penalize victims contribute to perpetuating the problem.
“It is obviously necessary to combat an internal culture that tolerates any form of harassment or violence,” Rosa said.
The secretary also proposed that women take a leading role in developing internal policies implemented by senior management. “Culture only changes when it is accompanied by everyday, concrete, and natural actions,” he stated.
Reinforcing the Ministry of Industry’s commitment to the issue, Rosa emphasized that the National Pact for the Prevention of Femicide also involves the government and civil society. In his view, only joint action can break the cycle of violence: “This isn’t an agenda item for tomorrow; it should have been adopted yesterday,” he concluded.
Example
During the event, businesswoman Luiza Trajano, founder of Magazine Luiza - one of Brazil’s largest retail chains, specializing in electronics, home appliances, and furniture - presented Canal Mulher (Women’s Channel), created to support female employees who are victims of domestic violence. The program was launched after an employee became a victim of femicide in 2017 and provides support from psychologists and lawyers, among other resources.
Over the years, the company has even paid rent to help an employee move out of her home. The strategy was refined in 2019, when the company’s mobile app added a reporting button that immediately connects to the 180 hotline - a 24-hour public service that receives reports of violence and provides guidance on women’s rights.
“We made a pact; we also trained men to identify and address these situations, and our company will never again lose a woman to this violence,” she said.
Trajano praised the National Pact for the Prevention of Femicide, which takes an approach focused on men. “President Lula spoke to men, and at our company, we’re speaking directly to them: ‘Look, you need to take action, because one day it could be your daughter, a niece, a sister - and you wouldn’t even know it. And it’s not just ordinary people; some are secretaries who speak three languages.’”
“Companies have been hiring more and more women, and it’s important that these women feel their employers are committed to the cause,” said Wania Sant’Anna, president of the Pact for the Promotion of Racial Equity.
“Companies play an extraordinary role in raising society’s awareness of how unacceptable violence against women is,” she stated.
“The numbers are not a mere coincidence; they reflect a culture that has historically been violent toward women and tolerated,” Sant’Anna noted, citing the severity and extreme cruelty of crimes committed against them.
To support companies, the United Nations (UN) created the Global Compact. The initiative outlines ways for organizations to “take concrete actions toward the transformations we need to see in society,” said its director, Monica Gregori. Speaking at the meeting, she highlighted the importance of corporations addressing institutional violence first.
“Companies can adopt preventive measures, starting with raising awareness about gender-based violence - since femicide is its ultimate manifestation - and combating the psychological and sexual harassment that still occurs in corporations,” Gregori emphasized.
An enthusiastic supporter of the initiative, Brazil’s First Lady Rosângela Lula da Silva highlighted the role of companies and called for support for initiatives aimed at criminalizing misogyny, of which she herself has been a victim, particularly on social media.
“When we try to understand the reason behind this escalation of violence, we encounter a hostile environment for women on the internet. In this digital space, which seems like a no-man’s-land, we see the unacceptable proliferation of misogynistic, violent, and illegal content - content that preaches male superiority and incites gender-based violence,” she analyzed.
The media’s role
Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), which manages radio and TV stations as well as websites, was represented by its CEO, Andre Basbaum, who defended the role of public media in fostering dialogue with society.
“This is a national crisis; rates of violence [against women] are extremely high, and we are addressing this through debate,” he said.
Antonia Pellegrino, EBC’s Director of Content and Programming, added that media companies are responsible for shaping the public imagination - the mental images people form about various topics. “Our programming creates new imaginaries and paves the way for transforming reality,” she said.
