Eleonora Menicucci: Without Lula's freedom and a solution to the Marielle case, we will not have democracy.

247 - The professor, sociologist, and former Minister of the Secretariat for Policies for Women said that Marielle Franco and Lula, from a gender perspective, represent the regression and violence that the country is experiencing, and that Brazilian democracy needs answers regarding the assassination of the former councilwoman and the release of Lula.

"Marielle lives on, and we want those responsible identified and Lula free. Two absolutely significant figures in Brazilian democracy, and this significance is: without identifying the criminals who took Marielle's life and without the Judiciary proving Lula's innocence, we will not achieve democracy," he said.

The former minister also stated that women are not a priority for President Jair Bolsonaro's government. "Women are not a priority for this government. The priority is the family, the woman within the family. There has been a dismantling of the 180 helpline, this dismantling is terrible for women because they continue to be murdered, femicide continues to increase, women continue to be raped, and to whom do they turn?"

Eleonora further explained the financial progression of the Secretariat for Policies for Women while she was minister. "When the PT (Workers' Party) came to power in 2003, we had R$ 2,8 million/year to spend. This funding came via the presidency. When we were removed in 2016, I had budgeted R$ 298 million, excluding the funds allocated to the program to combat violence."

She took the opportunity to remind everyone that President Dilma Rousseff, deposed by the coup, was unjustly removed from office and that this weakened the fight for women's rights. "Since the coup that removed President Dilma, without any crime of responsibility, one of the most honest and upright women, who opened access to policies for women."

The former minister further emphasized that the coup had a misogynistic character. "The coup did indeed have a very strong misogynistic character. Of course, it wasn't the determining factor, but it has this very strong misogynistic character. Was society prepared to be governed and led by a woman? I don't think so. But Dilma showed the determination of women; women felt absolutely represented by her."

The professor also highlighted the importance of a Secretariat that assists the majority of the population and that has been fighting for its rights for a long time. "We are 52% of the population, we are not a minority. If we consider our condition as reproducers, then we are also responsible for the policy of care. It is a response to a demand from the feminist movement for years for the guarantee of rights, for public policies and for the recognition of the significance of women in Brazilian society."

Regarding representation, Eleonora Menicucci said that it's not enough to have women in government; these women need to fight for the feminist movement. She also spoke about the importance of women in power. "Why have more women in parliament, for example? Because women in parliament look at projects from their own experience, from their lived experiences and interactions with other women."

Later in the interview, the professor emphasized the importance of educating children to become familiar with the topic of sexism. "We have an education system, both primary and secondary, that our public policies need to try to change this understanding of, to include the issue of violence against women in the curriculum, to include literature so that from a young age children, both boys and girls, are more familiar with this topic."

Regarding the gun ownership proposal put forward by the Bolsonaro government, the former minister strongly disagreed. "I radically disagree. The use of firearms, in any situation, is not self-defense, it's a risk; it's arming a society."

Eleonora Menicucci also commented on the presence of the military in the government and refuted calls for a return to dictatorship. "The worst thing is people in the streets asking for the return of the Military Dictatorship. For someone who was imprisoned and tortured, this is very difficult, it's unacceptable. Only someone who didn't live through it could think such a thing; I find it unthinkable, unacceptable, and inadmissible."

At the end of the interview, former minister Eleonora called on Brazilian men and women to join the march against the setbacks last Friday and said that International Women's Day this year is very symbolic.

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