Lula signs pact against femicide: "Never again will a man dare to consider himself the owner of a woman."

247 -President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) stated this Wednesday (4) that confronting femicide requires firm action from the State, effective punishment for aggressors and a profound change in behavior in Brazilian society. The statement was made during the launch ceremony of the National Pact Brazil against Femicide, in the Noble Hall of the Planalto Palace, which brought together the heads of the Three Powers in an unprecedented initiative of institutional articulation against lethal gender violence.

In his speech, Lula highlighted a recent measure adopted by the government to hold aggressors financially responsible. “I wanted to share some good news from last week: for the first time, the government has filed a lawsuit to punish people who have committed crimes of violence against women. And it's a financial lawsuit, obligating the aggressor to pay child support until the child is 21 years old,” he stated. According to the president, the action brought by the Attorney General's Office obtained a favorable ruling in the 2nd Court of Marília, which he described as an important initial milestone. “It's a good start,” he said.

Lula linked the persistence of violence to the failure to enforce the laws. Recalling a phrase from former governor and senator Franco Montoro, he stated that "the problem in Brazil is that there were laws that were enforced and laws that weren't." For the president, impunity fuels recidivism. "We need to know where the failure lies, because there are people who commit crimes thinking they won't be punished," he declared.

The president also publicly thanked the first lady. "Dear colleague Janja, I must publicly express my gratitude for you having alerted me so many times to the seriousness of violence against women," he stated, acknowledging her role in raising awareness about the issue.

Addressing the press, Lula emphasized the political symbolism of the event. “I wanted to tell the press that the event taking place today is important. I don't know how many times in human history there has been an event where the Three Branches of Government come together, along with all democratic institutions, to alert society to the problem we are experiencing,” he said. For him, the main novelty of the pact is the direct involvement of men. “For the first time, men are taking responsibility for the fact that the fight is not just for women, it's for the aggressor, who is the man,” he stated.

Lula argued that the fight against violence against women must permeate all spheres of social life. "What we are saying here to the labor movement is that this is a matter for factory gates, for workers' assemblies," he said. According to him, the issue should also be present in the daily discourse of parliamentarians and in the educational system, "from daycare to university," to form citizens committed to respect and human rights.

The president stated that the transformation involves building new values. "What we're talking about is the possibility of creating a new civilization of equals, where it's not sex that makes the difference, but behavior and respect," he declared. In a critical tone, he added: "We want our partners to understand us arriving home late at night, but men can't tolerate women being five minutes late."

In closing, Lula emphasized that confronting femicide requires perseverance and rigor. “The fight only ends when the entire society relentlessly pursues punishment, so that no man ever again dares, for the sake of a plate of food, to turn his partner into his slave, to treat his partner as if he were her owner,” he stated. For him, the pact marks the beginning of a new era. “Today, in this country, we begin a new era in the relationship between men and women,” he concluded.