THE INERTIA OF THE PUBLIC SECURITY SYSTEM IN CONFRONTING FEMICIDE IN BAHIA

Abstract

Femicide constitutes the most extreme expression of gender-based violence and represents a serious public safety and human rights problem in Brazil. Despite the consolidation of a robust normative framework, including the Maria da Penha Law and the classification of femicide as an aggravating circumstance of homicide, the rates of women's deaths due to gender remain high, especially in northeastern states such as Bahia. In this context, the present study aimed to analyze the performance of the public security system in addressing femicide in Bahia, focusing on identifying the main factors that contribute to its institutional inertia. The research adopted a qualitative approach, of a basic nature, with an exploratory and descriptive character, developed through bibliographic and documentary review, with analysis of legislation, institutional reports, and recent statistical data. The results showed that, although there are normative advances and formally structured public policies, operational weaknesses persist related to the monitoring of protective measures, inter-institutional integration, insufficient resources, and territorial inequality in the provision of specialized services. It was found that institutional inertia does not stem from the absence of norms, but from the limited capacity for implementation and monitoring of existing policies. It is concluded that effectively confronting femicide requires structural strengthening of the public security system, integration of protection networks, and the adoption of evidence-based preventive strategies capable of breaking the cycle of gender-based violence and promoting greater effectiveness in the protection of women.