FEMICIDE IN BRAZIL: AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LEGISLATION PROTECTING WOMEN IN ADDRESSING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

Abstract

Femicide is one of the most serious forms of gender-based violence, characterized by the murder of women motivated by reasons related to their gender, frequently associated with contexts of domestic and family violence. In this sense, the present study aims to analyze femicide in Brazil from a legal and social perspective, addressing its historical process, concept, characteristics, causes, and social consequences, as well as examining Brazilian legislation aimed at protecting women and the effectiveness of these norms in confronting gender-based violence. To achieve this objective, the methodology adopted was bibliographic and documentary research, based on the analysis of legal doctrine, national legislation, and recent statistical data on femicide in the country, with emphasis on the protection measures provided for in the Maria da Penha Law and the classification of femicide introduced by the Femicide Law in the Brazilian Penal Code. The results indicate that, although the Brazilian legal system has advanced significantly in the creation of instruments to protect women, such as urgent protective measures and more rigorous criminal accountability for aggressors, the rates of femicide in the country remain high. This scenario highlights that the effectiveness of legislation depends not only on the existence of legal norms, but also on the effective implementation of public policies, the integrated action of justice and public security institutions, and the strengthening of strategies to prevent violence against women.