With debates that addressed the various forms of violence (property, gender, physical, political, among others) committed against women in the State of Tocantins, the “Conversation Round table - Maria in the Communities” was held on Monday 26th. The event was promoted by the Ombudsman’s Office for Women, together with the Commission for Preventing and Combating Moral Harassment and Sexual Harassment, and the State Coordination of Women in Situations of Domestic and Family Violence of the Court of Justice of the State of Tocantins (TJTO).
The round table was attended by judicial authorities and experts in the field, including Justice Ângela Issa Haonat, Ombudsman for women and President of the Commission for Preventing and Combating Moral Harassment and Sexual Harassment of the TJTO, and Judge Cirlene de Assis, state coordinator for women in situations of domestic and family violence. During the opening, the alarming data on femicide and domestic violence in Brazil was highlighted, with a 7% increase in cases of femicide by 2023, totaling more than 1,400 women murdered for gender reasons.
In her speech, Justice Angela Issa Haonat highlighted the actions taken to combat the rates of violence and stressed the importance of teamwork.
“Despite legal advances and awareness campaigns, domestic violence rates remain high, revealing the need for more effective action to combat this crime. The authorities must step up their actions to combat domestic violence, guaranteeing the punishment of aggressors and the protection of victims,” she said.
For magistrate Cirlene de Assis, the State Coordination for Women in Situations of Domestic and Family Violence works to train all the social actors involved in combating violence against women.
“We often come across situations that we find hard to believe still exist, and we are faced with the challenge of how to resolve them. We work hard to train Magistrates, Prosecutors, Defenders and Lawyers to act with a gender perspective, because the process of violence against women is very complex,” she said.
Lecture
The keynote lecture, given by lawyer Priscila Madruga, dealt with the topic on “Confronting Violence Against Women and Institutional Practices: A Necessary Dialogue”. In her presentation, the speaker emphasized the definition of violence, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), as the intentional use of force or power that can cause injury, death, psychological harm or deprivation.
She also highlighted gender-based violence as a form of social control based on a hegemonic matrix, where force is used to maintain domination, especially in the home. “Most cases of violence occur within the home, and this is very sad, reflecting a flaw in our social system. These rates keep rising, and something needs to be done,” she said.
Debaters
The Conversation Round table was held on the date of the International Day of Equality for Women, which was established in 1973 in reference to women gaining the vote in the United States after the passage of the 19th constitutional amendment in 1920.
The debates were also attended by the coordinator of the Maria da Penha Center of the State Prosecution of Tocantins, Prosecutor Munique Teixeira Vaz; magistrate Edssandra Barbosa da Silva Lourenço, representing the Ombudsman for Women + of the Regional Electoral Court of the State of Tocantins; Public Defender Pollyana Lopes Assunção, from the Specialized Center for the Promotion and Defense of the Rights of Women; Lawyer Gizella Bezerra, from the Brazilian Association of Women in Legal Careers - ABMCJ; and Professor André Vanderlei Cavalcante Guedes.
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