Public policies to combat femicide in Brazil: Between normative advances and structural challenges

Abstract

Gender-based violence constitutes one of the most severe violations of human rights in contemporary times. The Brazilian State has public policies to combat gender-based violence aligned with fundamental rights; however, the high rates of femicide expose a serious structural flaw in the execution of these guidelines. The problem lies in the gap between the normative project and practical reality, leading to the question: why have the current public policies at the national level not been sufficient to contain the escalation of femicide in Brazil? The general objective is to analyze the main public policies for confronting femicide. The following specific objectives are pursued: to examine femicide as an extreme manifestation of gender-based violence; to understand the Brazilian normative framework; and to evaluate Brazilian public policies in combating femicide. The theoretical foundation is anchored in the Theory of the Knot developed by Saffioti (2015), combined with the critical constitutionalism of Oliveira (2023). Regarding methodology, this will be a qualitative and exploratory research approach, as well as a bibliographic review and historical reconstruction on the subject, with the collection of statistical data on the object. The analysis concludes that despite the national normative apparatus, there have been significant advances, but there is a mismatch between the design of public policies and their effective implementation, reinforced by historical roots of inequality. It is concluded that despite Brazil's efforts to mitigate the escalation of femicide, the country presents structural and operational problems that compromise the full effectiveness of public policies to combat femicide.