Project in defense of vulnerable women is discussed at City Hall

In the beginning of March, the curitibana alderwoman Carol Dartora proposed the Support Women, an initiative to assist the insertion of women in a situation of domestic violence and low income into the job market

By Isabela Lobianco

Translation: Gabriela Alves and Pietra Gabiatti

The Support Women program was proposed by the alderwoman Carol Dartora (PT). The project must mobilize public institutions to offer job opportunities to women registered on the CadÚnico system, Bolsa Família or any other government project that is destined to assist the low income population of the country. The proposition is being processed by the Legal Prosecutions Office of the House of Representatives.

The plan also foresees the capacitation of public workers to a qualified service to women in situations of domestic and family violence and/or in situations of socioeconomic vulnerability.

The job opportunities destined to the female public will be organized in bank data of the available company. Interested parties can have access to occupational activities and qualification opportunities, according to the details of Carol’s program. 

To the alderwoman and doctor Maria Letícia (PV), the processing of projects made by women is more challenging. “It is related to the authorship”. She claims that a woman that proposes projects connected to women’s offers more developmental resistance in the Chamber.

Studies from the Cananéia Research Institute (IpeC) show that 15% of women with more than 16 years old have suffered violence from partners, ex-partners and parents. This totals 13,4 million Brazilians. In Curitiba, data from DATASUS from 2016 shows that the greatest violence suffered was negligence and abandonment (37% of the victims), followed by physical violence (27,94%). Between the interviewees, 38,52% revealed that it was not the first time they suffered violence because of their gender.

The Support Women has similar roots to other propositions. A project by alderwoman Flávia Francischini (PSL) registered in 2021 is destined to the incentive of financial independence of women in domestic and family violence situations. The alderman João of the 5 Brothers (PSL) launched a similar plane, in February of the same year.

“In Curitiba, especifically, was approved the Red Signal program with our unconditional support on the attempt to minimize and create alternatives to rescue the victims of violence”, reports Flávia.

The alderwoman believes that a more active attitude from the Municipal Executive to apply and amplify the project would be necessary. Francischini explains that, for the execution of any program destined to women, it is necessary the participation of the city hall

In the Legislature System of Proposition of the House of Representatives, more than 600 projects destined to women were tracked. One exemple is the submission of alderman Rogério Campos (PSD) in 2013, that would guarantee exclusive busses to curitibanas women and was rejected by the Plenary. Maria Letícia’s proposition, on the other hand, entered into details about landing women outside of bus stops because of dangerous regions and it was filed.

Maria Letícia mentions how the processes before the pro-women agenda were discussed more amply by civil society. “We were overthrown during the first commission already. Now, we could advance some commissions and, beyond that, the projects are arriving at the Plenary for voting, but then are overthrown by the Plenary”. Nowadays, the Plenary is composed of 38 members, 30 of them being men and 8 women. Because of the lack of women representation, the Plenary’s approval becomes more challenging.

Women’s support sticker attached to a lamppost | By: Isabela Lobianco

One of the governmental political problems for women is the lack of budget, according to Maria. “A Casa da Mulher Brasileira (Brazilian Women’s House), many times, works by amendment, which is paid once a year, but the year has 12 months”, highlights. Maria Letícia believes that “there is a light at the end of the road”. She reveals that she has managed to approve projects that she would never imagine. One of them is a project from her first mandate that deals with reproductive life and sexuality in schools. “When would this be approved five or ten years ago? It wasn’t. And we managed to do it. We also approved a project about harassment on public transportation, bars and restaurants”, observes the alderwoman. The last project approved is about period poverty.

Meet the alderwomen of the Curitiba City Council.

Cópia de Conteúdo Extra – Apoio Mulher de Gabriela Alves