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For Minister, 9% of Women in Brazilian Congress Is Too Little |
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Written by Cristina Índio do Brasil
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Wednesday, 23 November 2005 |
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Women's schooling level needs to improve in Brazil. This is the conclusion drawn by the head of the Brazilian Special Secretariat for Women's Policies, Minister Nilcéa Freire.
"Women have a slight advantage over men nowadays from the point of view of schooling, but not enough to end discrimination, such as in salary levels," she explained.
On Monday, November 21, during a talk at the seminar, Recovering Dignity: Ethics, State, and Society, in Rio de Janeiro, the minister pointed out that women have made significant advances in the last 30 years, but that, at the practical level, they are up against obstacles.
She referred to the legislation approved at the 4th World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in September, 1995: "It needs to be introduced into daily life, and the only way for this to come about is through government policies."
For Freire, it is also necessary to expand women's participation in politics. Although election laws stipulate that 30% of the places on party tickets in elections must be filled by women, this figure is not reflected in the Brazilian Congress, she observed, adding:
"Women at present make up only 9% of the legislature. It is true that they make a lot of noise, but we have to expand."
The minister also recalled that International Non-Violence against Women Day will be commemorated on Friday, November 25. And she informed that a woman is assailed in Brazil every 20 seconds.
"These aggressions have an impact on the economy and public health and are feedback mechanisms of violence in the country."
Agência Brasil
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