The Context: A Brief Overview of Brazil

Outside the Women's Life Center in João Pessoa. With support from IWHC's Brazilian colleague Cunhã Feminist Collective, the Center provides a safe space for women and their children.

With a population of 187 million and an area roughly the size of the United States, Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and has the largest economy in South America. A nation of rich regional and ethnic diversity, Brazil also suffers from deep social and economic inequalities: the median income of the wealthiest 10 percent of the population is 30 times greater than that of the bottom 40 percent. Many women, particularly those living in rural areas, have limited access to public services and basic information on sexual and reproductive health, resulting in disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality. Even in the cities, pervasive poverty puts basic health and other social services out of reach for many Brazilians, with particular impacts on women and young people. . Black women are often those in the worst conditions—with an average monthly income around US$127, compared with US$423 for white men.¹

Amidst these challenges, Brazil also has one of the most progressive constitutions and one of the most vibrant, organized, and influential feminist movements in Latin America. In 1985, Brazil returned to civilian rule after two decades of military dictatorship, and the women's movement played a significant role throughout the transition to democracy. Brazil's new constitution, adopted in 1988, defined health as a right of citizenship, and created a Unified Health System to decentralize the provision of health services, ensure universal access and bring them closer to the people. Health councils were created at the federal, state, and municipal levels to increase democratic participation in developing and implementing health policies, creating a unique opportunity for representatives of the Ministry of Health, service providers, and civil society to work toward public health policies that meet the needs of individuals and communities. Despite these progressive commitments, Brazil remains a country of disparities in the quality and accessibility of healthcare, a situation the feminist movement has persistently worked to address.

Brazil at a glance
Government Type: Presidential Democracy led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Ethnic Groups: 52% white; 41.4% multiracial (mostly mixed white and black) 5.9% black; 0.6% other
Languages: Portuguese
Religious beliefs: Roman Catholic (nominal) 80% 
Labor force: Services 51.7%, Agriculture 20.6%, Industry 27.7%

Total population: 187 million
Percent of the population under 15: 30%
Urban population: 84%
Life expectancy: 71 years

Focus on reproductive health²
Total fertility rate (average number of children born to a woman in her lifetime): 2.3
Contraceptive prevalence rate (among married women aged 14-49): 70% (modern methods); 76% (all methods)
Maternal mortality ratio (number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births): 260
Abortion is legal to save the life of the woman or in cases of rape.

Focus on young women²
Percentage of single females aged 15-19 who are sexually active: 8.8%
Percentage of females aged 15-19 who are currently married: 17%
Women's average age at first marriage: 21
Percentage of females who have given birth by age 20: 32%

Focus on HIV/AIDS³
Percentage of adults living with HIV/AIDS: 0.61%
Number of HIV-positive adults (aged 15-49): 593,000
Number of HIV-positive women (aged 15-49): 204,000
Recent trends in HIV/AIDS incidence have focused attention on women, poor people, rural populations, and Afro-descendents (who comprise 48% of the population and 63% of those living in poverty) as particularly vulnerable groups.
Access to care (including anti-retroviral drugs) is universal and guaranteed by national law.

Focus on gender⁴
Percentage of female-headed households: 22.9%¹
Literacy rate for women (ages 15+): 89%
Literacy rate for men (ages 15+): 88%
Women as a percent of parliament: 9%
In 2000, 54% of women aged 15-64 were participating in the labor force, compared to 81% of men in the same age group.

Sources:
1. UNIFEM, IPEA. Brasil Retrato das Desigualdades Gênero, 2005, Brasilia
2. www.unicef.org/infobycountry/brazil_1914.html
3. www.aids.gov.br/data/Pages/LUMIS13F4BF21PTBRIE.htm
4. Literacy and labor data has not been recently updated