An aunt reflects on raising her nephew, orphaned due to feminicide, highlighting the stark realities of violence against women in Brazil as the country faces a growing feminist crisis.
The International Women's Day, celebrated on March 8, prompts crucial reflection on the challenges and achievements women face, especially in relation to their safety. In 2025, Brazil marked a staggering rise in violence against women, recording four feminicides daily, alongside ten attempted murders in a single 24-hour period. This alarming increase necessitates a serious evaluation of the situation that Brazilian women find themselves in.
Specifically, the city of Juiz de Fora witnessed a catastrophic 200% increase in recorded feminicides from 2019 to 2025, according to the state Department of Justice and Public Security. Silvânia Cristian da Conceição, at 52 years old, embodies the personal toll of these statistics, as she grapples with the loss of her niece to feminicide and now strives to care for her orphaned nephew. Her story reflects the deep scars left on families who experience such tragedies, illustrating not only personal grief but also the broader societal implications.
The aunt's lament that her niece ‘became just a number’ underscores the depersonalization of victims in the statistics surrounding feminicide, calling into question how society perceives these individuals. The rising rates of violence against women during a day that should celebrate their rights and achievements serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for societal change and action to protect women from gender-based violence.
