Combating policies for violence against women in the city of São Paulo

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic and measures to stop the spread of the virus, such as social distancing, caused an increase in violence against women, who were confined at home with their aggressors. Many of these violences took place in a situation of cohabitation or affection - and again became a reason for alerting governments. More than calling attention to the social phenomenon of violence, the purpose of this article is to bring together some of the main public policies to combat violence against women in the city of São Paulo. The city of São Paulo has been the birthplace of several experiments to promote gender equality since the 1980s. It is considered a reference and a pioneer in many public policies for women. The time frame consists of the years 2015 to 2020, the starting point being the year in which there was an exclusive secretariat for women and the ending point being the Covid-19 pandemic.