Maria da Penha Law: 20 Years of Progress and Challenges

What does the Maria da Penha Law actually protect women from?

Enacted on 7 August 2006, Law 11.340/2006 — known as the Maria da Penha Law — was a turning point in how Brazil treats domestic violence. Before it existed, assaults within the home were routinely dismissed with the old saying "in a fight between husband and wife, nobody interferes." The law made domestic violence a public problem, not a private matter.

What forms of violence does the law recognise?

The legislation goes far beyond physical abuse. It explicitly covers psychological, sexual, patrimonial, moral and vicarious violence. Vicarious violence — where an aggressor targets children, relatives or support networks to harm the victim — was formally added to the law in 2026, showing that the legislation continues to evolve.

What progress has been made in 20 years?

Lawyer Luciane Mezarobba, who works exclusively with women, says the law "elevated the fight against violence against women in family, domestic and romantic contexts to a public problem." Behaviours once socially accepted — humiliation, financial exploitation, manipulation — now constitute criminal offences. Sociologist Bruna Camilo adds that naming these acts in law gave women a framework to seek help where none existed before.

Why are the challenges still so serious?

Despite two decades of progress, the numbers remain alarming. According to the Brazilian Public Security Forum (FBSP), 1,568 women were killed in femicide cases in Brazil in 2025 alone — a 4.7% rise on the previous year. Since femicide was classified as a specific crime in March 2015, at least 13,703 women have been murdered because of their gender. Sociologist Camilo warns: "If all the provisions were followed, it would be an extremely strong law. It is very important, undeniably so, but unfortunately it is not enforced to its full extent." Under-reporting, barriers to accessing justice and failures in protective orders remain systemic obstacles.