Secretariat on Policies for Women
Presidency

Public Policies for Women in Brazil
Fernanda Bittencourt Vieira

August, 2010

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Basic information on Brazil
Major challenges in mainstreaming gender
Priority issues in the presente national plan
Job descriptions
Issues to be addressed
Justification
Useful knowledge and skills
Action Plan

1. Basic Information about Brazil
Brazil is in located in South America. The
country is a Federal Republic, divided in 26
States (Prefectures) and 1 Federal District(the capital city, Brasilia), in ５ regions.
(observe the ５ regions colored in the map)
There are more than 5.500 municipalities.
Density per sq km is 22. The politicalsystem is Presidentialism.

BRAZIL•The official language is Portuguese and there are two native languages
recognized in municipal level: Nhengatu, São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) andGuarani, Tacuri (MS).
• There are more than 180 non-oficial native languages.
• Researches stimate that more than 5 milion indigenous lived in the land whencolonists arrived, in XVI Century (now the populaｔion is just around 600.000).
• Brazil was colonized by Portugal and is the unique Portuguese speaking
country in Latin America.
• Independence occurred in 1822 (September 7th).
• In the XVI century African were brought to Brazil as slaves. Slavery wasabolished in 1888.
•In the end of the XIX, a policy for stimulating immigration, brought Europeansfrom other regions (Germanys, Italians, Spanish and Portuguese) and Asian(Japanese and Chinese).

BRAZIL•

Population: 192 milions••

Urban Population: 83%
Rural Population: 17% (61% blacks)

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Fecundity rate: 1,94
Infant mortality rate: 19,88/1.000
Life expectancy: 73
Illiteracy rate: 9,7%
Unemployment rate: 7,2%
GNP: US$ 1,5 trilhão em 2009
Women in Labour Force: 52,6%
Family Headed by Women: 34%
Maternity mortality rate: 75/100.000

Cultural Diversity
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Ethnicity and Race Composition:
48,4% White
50,6% Black (negros and pardos)
0,6% Indigenous
0,2% Japanese descendents

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Religion
Roman Catholic 88%
Protestant 6%,
Afro-Amer.Spirit.2%,
Spiritist 2%,
Atheist 1%,
Other 1%.

Contrasts• Brazil is the economic leader of South America and oneof the 10 largest economies in the world.
•In January 2010, Brazil assumed a nonpermanent seat on
the UN Security Council for the 2010-11 term.
•Despite of economy improvement and international
leadership, many Brazilians suffer under poverty, andinequality.
• Poverty and economic, regional, gender and race
inequality are central challenges.

Lula’s GovernmentIn 2003, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (photo) became
Brazil's first working-class president. As leader of theWorkers' Party, Lula have been making efforts toincrease social services and to improve the income ofpoor people.
Since 2003, we’ve been assuming the challenge toface inequalities, by assuming a strategy ofdevelopment with growth associated with the reductionof social and regional inequalities, the promotion ofgender, racial and ethnic equality and the sustained
maintenance of prices and fiscal stability.

The Secretariat on Policies forWomen
Was created in the beginning of 2003 as a high-level
entity with Ministerial status, coordenating federal
policies for women.
Nilcea Freire (Photo) is the Secretariat Minister since2004. She is also the President of the Women’s
National Council. She’s a Doctor and Professor. She
was the first women to Head a University in Brazil(Rio de Janeiro).
Secretariat on Policies for Women represents
significant changes in legal framework, as well as inpublic and social policies towards women. Longlasting demands of Brazilian women constituted theguidelines and principles adopted in the National Planof Policies for Women.

2. Major Challenges inMainstreaming Gender•••

To ensure permanence of gender policies
To strengh activities in strategic Ministries
To deepen gender aproach in PluariannualPlan 2012-2016

3. Priority Issues in the presentNational Plan
Women’s participation in positions of power and decision-making
and economic autonomy;
Inclusive, non-sexist, non-racist, non-homophobic and nonlesbophobic education;
 Women’s health, sexual and reproductive rights;
Fighting against all forms of violence against women.

4. Job Description• To advisor for the Subsecretary regarding theimplementation of the National Plan on Policies forWomen;• To contribute on formulation and implementation ofprogram strategies of the Subsecretariat;• To manage the Technical Cooperation Agreementwith UNIFEM;• To facilitate of knowledge building and knowledge
sharing.

5. Issues tobe addressed• Major policies are still lacking genderapproaches, due to fragile awarenessabout women’s policies and respective
tools between government officers.

6. Justification
We understand that one of our major
challenges is to promote the effective
mainstreaming on gender in theformulation of general public policies.
Thus, improving gender sensitive plansby training officers is one important
step to achieve our final goal.

7. Useful Knowledge and Skills
acquired• Gender Responsive Project Cycle Management(hidden gender issues analyses)• Gender data resources• More awareness about gender policies challenges fordifferent countries and cultures

8. Action Plan••••Title: Women Matters! Multiplying Awareness on GenderPolicies
Period: October 2010 to July 2011 (10 months)
Implementation Agency: Secretariat on Policies for Women
Target Area: 6 Ministries and one Secretariat: Ministry ofPlanning and Budget; Ministry of Social Development andFighting against Hungry; Ministry of Labour and Employment;
Ministry of Tourism; Ministry of Agrarian Development; Ministryof Social Welfare; Secretariat on Policies for Racial/ EthnicEquality

8. Action Plan• Target Beneficiary (ies): 70 Government Officers• Overall Goal: Policy for Women are strengthened in Brazil• Project Purpose:• 1.Awareness on policies for women and respective tools
increases among Government Officers;• 2.Gender sensitive draft for Pluriannual Plans are developed

Activities• 1. To develope a friendly user
handbook about women’ policies forgovernment officers and a brochureexplaining the objective of the training• 2. To provide 2 Training Courses• 3. To disseminate the training results in
the PPA meetings and final agreement

Outputs• Draft for sectorial Plans are elaborated
with gender approach• Sectorial Plans gender sensitive areincluded in the Pluriannual NationalPlan 2012-2016

• Contacts:fernanda.vieira@spmulheres.gov.br• Webpage: www.sepm.gov.br• www.observatoriodegenero.gov.br• www.maismulheresnopoder.gov.br• Thank You! Obrigada!
• Arigatô Gozaimas