A growing threat to human rights? Gender and political ideologies in Brazil

ABSTRACT

This viewpoint article discusses the growing threat to human rights in Brazil, specifically on gender and political ideologies. Brazil has a progressive Constitution that guarantees basic human rights to all Brazilians, including that of choice of gender. In the last few years, pressure groups, particularly religious groups, have increasingly influenced successive governments to restrain the freedom of people to access gender and sex education at school. In the middle of the current political and economic chaos of Brazil, religious fundamentalism has grown stronger. These groups have aimed to eliminate any gender and political discussions in the National Curriculum, but also in Brazilian life. However, there are many other interests underneath this rhetoric and actions. In the last decades, evangelicals have built an economic empire. Consequently, there have been significant losses to education, especially in gender education. Brazilian public universities are also under severe threat (financial and ideological). The current Ministry of Education believes that philosophy and sociology courses should be discouraged, as well as research on gender issues. Research spending has decreased sharply and there is a significant concern that censorship of research in certain areas of knowledge may occur.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Dr Adla Betsaida Martins Teixeira is an associate professor at the School of Education, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil since 1999. She completed her MA and PhD (1992–1998) at the University of London, Institute of Education on gender and education. Following, she completed post-doctorates at the University of Leeds, UK (2008–2009), Université Lyon2, France (2008–2009) and more recently held postdoctoral positions at Stanford University, USA and Georgia State University (2017–2018) both on issues of gender discrimination and violence against women at university campuses and Project Prevent (Program of Prevention at Schools against Sexual Violence and Exploitation of girls by their families). Her research projects are on gender issues such as women in science, homophobia at schools, gender issues at police schools, groups of women victims of domestic violence and primary health support, promotion of women into STEAM areas.

ORCID

Adla Betsaida Martins Teixeira http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5400-470X

Notes

1 Leda Paulani: School of Administration – University of Sao Paulo/USP; Council Secretary of Planning Governor Haddad (The Labour Party).

2 Marilena Chauí: University of São Paulo/USP. Secretary of Culture São Paulo (a former Labour Party member).