Federal law bans smoking in public places. Don t refer to Brazilians as Latins. As women increasingly join the workforce, machismo has become less common. Younger, better-educated women have values that correspond closely to those of North American women. Women are well-accepted and are prominent in education, medicine and journalism and as small business owners.
Brazilian women are very aggressive, in both their business and personal lives.
Foreign women will usually have no problem doing business in Brazil. However, some people are still conservative in this regard. Be very careful not to ruin a business deal by being cool and too professional. It is traditional to invite someone for a drink after work. This is not a come-on.