Session
National Report
Para 28) In 2020, to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the most vulnerable portion of the population, especially on those in informal economic activities, with low or uncertain pay, Law n. 13,982, from April 2, 2020, set exceptional social protection measures. The main social policy adopted during the pandemic was the establishment of the Emergency Aid. Amounting to R$ 600.00, this aid was granted in 5 installments, three of them established by the above mentioned law. The other two were granted through the extension provided by Decree n. 10,412 of June 30, 2020. In the case of single-parent families, the aid was doubled, specifically benefiting households headed by women.
Para 37) Regarding the financial benefits from the Brazil Aid Program, one of the main developments was the simplification of its structure, encompassing in its core, the three following benefits: (i) Early Childhood Benefit, targeting children from zero to 36 months; (ii) Family Composition Benefit, for pregnant women, breastfeeding women and people aged from three up to 21 years, and (iii) the Benefit to Overcome Extreme Poverty, destined to families in situation of extreme poverty, whose family monthly per capita income does not allow for them to overcome their condition of extreme vulnerability, even after adding incomes from governmental benefits.
Para 50) Both policies prioritize rural women’s participation due to their important role in selfconsumption production and family nourishment. It is also a means for self-sufficiency and empowerment of women, contributing, over the years, to the mitigation of all kinds of violence against these women.
State under Review
Issues
National Report
UN Compilation
UN Compilation
Para 29) On the basis of data from the Superior Electoral Court, the United Nations country team reported that, despite representing more than 51.8 per cent of the population and more than 52 per cent of the Brazilian electorate, women were still a minority in politics. The country team highlighted that defamation and threats against women were central to the political violence that affected women’s participation. In the judiciary branch, there was a wider gap with regard to gender equality.
Para 36) The Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights, and the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights considered that the economic and social policies of Brazil were putting millions of lives at risk. They stated that Brazil should immediately drop the misguided austerity policies that were endangering lives and increase spending to combat inequality and poverty. They added that the COVID-19 outbreak had magnified the adverse impacts of a 2016 constitutional amendment that capped public expenditure in Brazil for 20 years. They also stated that government funding cutbacks had violated international human rights standards, including in education, housing, food, water and sanitation, and gender equality. A larger group of special procedures mandate holders expressed a similar concern. Responding to a question from the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, the Government indicated that the pandemic had not caused the restriction of any constitutional liberties bearing no relation to the health emergency per se.
Para 52) On the basis of information from Instituto de Estudos Socioeconômicos, the United Nations country team indicated that there had been a massive reduction in the budget of the Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights in 2021, accompanied by a reduction of 51.8 per cent in policies for women.