By Marina Grossi*
International Women's Day has passed. Social media posts have decreased, corporate events have ended, and the agenda, as happens every year, risks being shelved until next March. But data doesn't respect calendars. Neither do violence, wage inequality, and political underrepresentation. If we still depend on a specific date to bring this debate to the center of our conversations, it's a sign that we still don't understand—or don't accept—the true dimension of the problem.
Violence against women can no longer be tolerated. The recent surge in femicide cases makes it clear that this violence permeates all social levels and economic classes. Statistics reflect a worsening scenario: the country registered 1,568 femicides in 2025, which means that every six hours a woman dies because of her gender. This number is a record in the last ten years, according to the Brazilian Public Security Forum. Rates of sexual assault have also been escalating, with a 25.81% increase in rape cases between 2020 and 2025, according to the 2025 Public Security Map. If this were a public health problem, we would certainly be facing an epidemic.
This is not, therefore, a one-off increase in the number of cases of violence, but a structural problem that is taking on more dramatic dimensions. Gender inequality in Brazil is historical, and a brief chronology of events gives the exact dimension of this reality. Until 1827, only boys had access to basic education. Girls gained access to higher education in 1879 (but only with the authorization of their father or husband). The right to vote, although optional, was achieved in 1932; the right to work and to have a bank account in their own name, without the husband's authorization, only came in 1962. The Divorce Law of 1977 allowed women to leave abusive marriages, albeit with great social stigma.
Women only became full citizens with rights after the 1988 Constitution, which established equality between men and women. Since then, stricter laws have been passed, such as the Maria da Penha Law of 2005, the Femicide Law of 2015; the criminalization of sexual harassment (2018), and in 2024, femicide became punishable by the highest penalty in the Penal Code (20 to 40 years of imprisonment). Women's rights are, therefore, a recent development in Brazilian history, and their guarantee still faces obstacles due to social structures where a sexist worldview prevails. Add to this the misogynistic cultural climate fueled by hate speech against women on the internet, which reaches increasingly younger men.
And despite educational advancements – women represent 591% of enrollments in higher education – inequality persists in leadership positions in companies and in underrepresentation in politics, with only 181% of seats in the National Congress held by women. Therefore, combating gender inequality requires a cultural shift and a collective effort that must be undertaken by all of Brazilian society. We need to remember that this is not just a women's agenda. Men also need to be actively involved in this transformation, as allies and a fundamental part of the solution.
The business environment is one of the areas where change needs to be accelerated. Brazilian companies have made progress in hiring female employees and have established equity goals, but it is necessary to have more women on teams, especially in leadership and strategic positions, such as on boards. This involves recognizing and legitimizing female leadership, which tends to promote a more humanized work environment focused on sustainability and inclusive practices.
It is also urgent that inclusive policies address intersectionality, as the gaps towards equal opportunities and pay are even wider for Black and Indigenous women. In Brazil, Black women face the greatest wage disparity in the labor market, earning, on average, about 47% to 53% less than white/non-Black men, occupying the base of the wage pyramid even in equivalent roles.
Companies must also provide conditions that allow female employees to reconcile their corporate activities with the demands of care work, which still predominantly falls on women's shoulders. The cultural shift begins at home, with a more equal division of domestic labor and open communication within the family.
Several studies have shown that a more just society for women benefits everyone and also generates greater economic benefits: according to data from the consulting firm McKinsey, companies led by women show 21% higher growth than organizations led only by men. But there is no way to move forward, whether in the economy, in politics or in the private sphere, if women continue to be killed simply for existing. Protecting women's lives needs to be a priority for everyone, in all spaces: in public power, in companies and in society. Only with a collective commitment will we be able to change this reality.
* Marina Grossi is the president of CEBDS (Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development), an organization with 29 years of experience and more than 110 large member companies, and Special Envoy of the COP30 Presidency for the Business Sector.
