Sexism in Brazil

Abstract

The creation of this paper is based upon various of topics such topics, are being focussed on in only Brazil. The topics that are being focused on in the paper are sexism and sexaual harrasment on afro-latina women. It gives a brief overview on what is sexism and sexual harassment. And the influences on the topic specifically which were the current and previous president of Brazil. Also it touches on what the exact problem afro-latina women face. To later lead that into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights article used and how it ties into relation with Brazil. With every problem it has a positive solution that is allowing afro-latina women to practice their written rights with no problem.

Sexism in Brazil

Brazil is one of the most known countries not only for their vast population but for their strong culture, identity, and uniqueness. Brazil is one of the largest countries located in the continent South America. The capital of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, which is the most popular city in the country for obvious reasons. Most commonly known for the statue that overlooks the entire city day and night, Christ the Redeemer. The statue represents a strong symbol of the religion Christianity across the world, and also shows how passionate their country is for their religion. The statue has also become a cultural icon not only in Brazil but all over the world. According toEncyclopedia Britannica “It was completed in 1931 and stands 98 feet tall, its horizontally outstretched arms spanning 92 feet. The statue, made of reinforced concrete clad in a mosaic of thousands of triangular soapstone tiles, sits on a square stone pedestal base about 26 feet high, which itself is situated on a deck atop the mountain’s summit.” (Murray, 2011) Another major urban populated city in Brazil is known as Sao Paulo.

Sexism & Sexual Harassment In Brazil
Just to give more background knowledge on the history of Brazil, according to academic article A Study Of The Country Brazil, “Because of the rapid growth experienced by this countryin terms of urban development, industrialisation and population at the beginning of the 21st century, Brazil is facing a number of social, environmental and political challenges.” (Meyer, 2010) The countries population at this moment is estimated to be around 209.3 million people according to United States census bureau. As each year continues to pass us the more and more that number rises. Also according to, A Study Of The Country Brazil, “However, it is also because of this growth that it is doing so well in terms of its economy. In fact, it is one of the world’s largest andmost significant economies. It is also the only Portuguese-speaking country in both North and South America.” (Meyer, 2010)

These heritages date all the way back to the 1700’s, decades andcenturies ago. Apart from Brazil’s huge population and being geographically huge, Brazil is veryunique just as its people. Because according to, A Study Of The Country Brazil, “It comprises dense rain forests and jungles, expanses of coastline, towering mountains, oceanic archipelagos (or clusters of islands), rivers, scrublands and rolling plains. Because of such a variation in habitats available to plants and animals, Brazil boasts a rich array of fauna and flora.” (Meyer, 2010) Going back to this country’s great size and population, their population is made up with avast amount of women. Lately in Brazil their women have been overlooked not only in their everyday lives, but also as an equal part to their society. Not only in Brazil has this problem beenoccuring, it’s actually a worldwide movement by women. Most commonly known by the #Metoomovements going around all over the United States of America. Sadly Brazil doesn’t have the same appeal and attention as the United States does, and many women in Brazil are being

Sexism & Sexual Harassment In Brazil 3overlooked and not having any say or any representation in their government. Women basically do not have any equal rights as men do and they deserve to be treated equally just as every other women in this world does.One of the most important people playing an enormous role in this sexism issue in Brazil is the face of the country and fairly new elected president Jair Bolsonaro. According to BBC news “Jair Bolsonaro is a retired military officer and more famously known for being a Brazilianpolitician. He has served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies, representing the one of the biggest cities in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, since 1991.” (Arnold, October 2018)

Lately since President Bolsonaro’s election he hasn’t been looked at too great in the media’s eyes and has seemed to be in the news for all the wrong reasons. Many beg to comparisons of United States president Donald Trump in same attitude, behavior and most importantly ideas. Also according to BBC news “However critics are worried by his praise of Brazil's former dictatorship, and by his comments on race, women and homosexuality. In one infamous incident in 2015 he told a fellow lawmaker she was too ugly to rape.” (Arnold, October 2018) Since then media and other outlet sources have deemed President Bolsonaro as "Trump of the Tropics". President Bolsonaro continuous controversial comments to the media, his populist approach to the way he looks and handles politics and also pro-gun stance has not helped out the sexism problem at all in Brazil, if anything it has added to it much more and made it much more difficult to help resolve. As of August 31st 2016, the entire country of Brazil has been under construction, since the impeachment of their former president Dilma Rousseff. Mrs. Dilma was a Brazilian economist, she was the perfect leader Brazil needed and was more than fit to run office. Especially with the entire issue at hand with women inequality, with Dilma in office what better

Sexism & Sexual Harassment In Brazil 5people sake. But women are facing unjust behavior towards them for the sake of what ? Something has to change.Elijah Daniels & Dawson RampersaudProfessor Vargas LLS 100 FY - 49December 17, 2018Abstract The creation of this paper is based upon various of topics such topics, are being focussed on in only Brazil. The topics that are being focused on in the paper are sexism and sexaual harrasment on afro-latina women. It gives a brief overview on what is sexism and sexual harassment.

And Sexism & Sexual Harassment In Brazil 6the influences on the topic specifically which were the current and previous president of Brazil. Also it touches on what the exact problem afro-latina women face. To later lead that into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights article used and how it ties into relation with Brazil. With every problem it has a positive solution that is allowing afro-latina women to practice their written rights with no problem. Brazil is one of the most known countries not only for their vast population but for their strong culture, identity, and uniqueness. Brazil is one of the largest countries located in the continent South America. The capital of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, which is the most popular city in the country for obvious reasons. Most commonly known for the statue that overlooks the entire city day and night, Christ the Redeemer. The statue represents a strong symbol of the religion Christianity across the world, and also shows how passionate their country is for their religion. The statue has also become a cultural icon not only in Brazil but all over the world.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica “It was completed in 1931 and stands 98 feet tall, its horizontally outstretched arms spanning 92 feet. The statue, made of reinforced concrete clad in a mosaic of thousands of triangular soapstone tiles, sits on a square stone pedestal base about 26 feet high, which itself is situated on a deck atop the mountain’s summit.” (Murray, 2011)For those of you who do not know of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights it was “drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations.”(United Nations, 2017) In other words it is articles that have written rights which condone to absolutely everyone that the higher ups of a cultural or nations has agreed to use. From those articles we Sexism & Sexual Harassment In Brazil 7used articles 7 and 19.Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.”(United Nations, 2017)

Which means all people no matter color nor race are equal and under the law it prevents discrimination against people of all kinds. So now knowing the true meaning behind article 7 the question remains of how are afro-latina women in Brazil being discriminated against? Previously stated in 2017 on The International Mother’s day he said “ I am absolutely convinced,...[that I know], how much a woman does for the household, for the home, creating a home for the children, and if society somehow goes well and the children grow-up well, it is because of its formidable home training and, surely, it is not the men who do it, it’s the women”(C.F.F.P., 2017) For a current president to say such rash sayings about the women of Brazil only shows the amount of disrespect that is hidden behind scenes. Not only is it disrespectful but, hurtful to the working class of women who actually are being undermined just by him sharing his thoughts on what he thinks the women do in society. It does not stop there in did you know that the legal age is 18 for women to be allowed to marry but, the “law allows girlsto marry at 16 with parental consent”(Tavares, 2017).

Wonder why women are given the option to be married off at such an young age and the option to be married if happened to be pregnant? The answer is simple women are not set to be put at the same standards as men. That is why there is always an option to be married off no matter the age and circumstances. Also it only shows that they believe women are not capable of living without an man which is indirectly
Sexism & Sexual Harassment In Brazil 8discriminating against women which violates article 7. Another example of the discrimination women face is the act of sexual harassment. The “domestic workers, who are predominantly Afro-Brazilian, have been systematically harassed by their male employers. This centuries-old power play dates back to slavery.”(Caldwell, 2018). There has been thousands of women who continue to face these hardships with the help of no one, the only option is to stay quite. What is the cause of all this? It is simple they are women they are looked down upon when it comes to their social status. They do not have enough power alone to change the outcome so it makes them an easier target to discriminate against.The next article that the afro-Brazilian women used to their full advantage is article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”(United Nations, 2017)

In other words it the right to access information of choice and the of spread the information however you may want. That is exactly what the afro-brazilian women do in order to spread the information of the hoffric events they go through.The difficulty afro-Brazilian women face when it comes to women sharing what is happening to them is almost unreal to the extent of how these acts are even still going on. In 2015 there was a campaign that was started in the United States called #MeToo which later'd on got adopted by the women of brazil. Named the “#MeuPrimeiroAssedio, or #MyFirstHarrassment. In its first five days, the hashtag racked up 82,000 tweets detailing the chronic sexual harassment of women in this South American nation. It soon spread across Latin America in Spanish translation as #MiPrimerAcoso” (Caldwell, 2018). This was the only humane way women could use the law to their advantage is thanks to article 19. Also not only Sexism & Sexual Harassment In Brazil 9did they use article 19 to their advantages, but they were able to put out such information that only a afro-Brazilian could have known about like what healthcare in Brazil actually is and how if happened to afro-Brazilian plastic surgery is almost forced upon them. Afro-Brazilian women had faced all types of difficulties even healthcare which were free nationwide were going againstthem. For example “black women are two and a half times more likely to die from an abortion than white person”, why is that? (Caldwell, 2018)

Women of such color are not made to be put at such a higher priority so they are put last given the worse attention to. Also to add salt to the wound afro-Brazilian women features are not even supported. Even “medical doctors may neglect black Brazilian women, but plastic surgeons pursue them. Since the 1960s, Brazilian cosmetic surgery has been included in Brazil Nationalhealth care system” which practically screams out to those women of color that a more European look is more “natural” to have(Caldwell, 2018).When coming to a humane solution to cause less of a problem with the government that is in their rights is to use social media as they were doing. Using social actually a lot easier than most make it seem because there is so much information being put out for anyone disposal. As far as afro-Brazilian women being to use the internet they should continue to work on the instagram campaign they started called ##MeuPrimeiroAssedio. This allowed them to put information of what has been going in Brazil with no problem with the government. This movement on instagram has racked up too over 85,000 retweets and it has gotten a lot of young activist attention which is a positive outcome. Because of this day and age kids happen to rule the internet and anything they see and what to draw attention it is possible because of how much of an influence kids have. Not only kids influence on the internet, but since the youth is next up they have such a big part on how the governments handle situations that may affect them.

Sexism & Sexual Harassment In Brazil 10One of the most beautifulest places in the world also known as Brazil with the most diverse cultural ever are even facing hardships when it comes to respecting the afro-Brazilian women of the country. Even with all the mistakes and unfairness their women face their is no limit to how potential the country has to change for the better of the economy or even for the people sake. But women are facing unjust behavior towards them for the sake of what ? Something has to change.

Reference

1. Caldwell, K.L. (2018, January 11) Beyond #metoo, brazil women rise up against racism and sexism. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/beyond-metoo-brazilian-women-rise-up-against-racism-and-sexism-89117Unknown (2018, December 14)
2. Brazil's gender trouble: sources of inequality in brazilianinstitutions and political representation. Retrieved from https://centreforfeministforeignpolicy.org/journal/2017/12/8/brazils-gender-trouble-sources-of-inequality-in-brazilian-institutions-and-political-representation
3. United Nations (1984, December) Universal declaration of human rights. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/Fredman, S. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2014, from https://www.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc=/Documents/Issues/Women/WG/ESL/RoletEqualityandNonDiscriminationLawsinWomensEconomic.docx&action=default&DefaultItemOpen=1
4. Sexism & Sexual Harassment In Brazil 11Cabinet, P. M. (2017, October 24). Identifying and eliminating everyday sexism. Retrieved from https://www.pmc.gov.au/news-centre/office-women/identifying-and-eliminating-everyday-sexism
5. Jair, B. (2011, August 7) Topics. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cdr1vzk8ngvt/jair-bolsonaroTavares, P. (2017, March 20) How does brazilian law see women? Retrieved from https://blogs.worldbank.org/latinamerica/how-does-brazilian-law-see-womenMurray. E (2011, December 12)
6. Encyclopedia BritannicaMeyer. J (2010, May) A Study Of The Country BrazilFriedman. C (2016, May 20) The Brazilian Accords

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