Bill 2462/26 establishes the National Policy for the Protection, Promotion and Guarantee of the Rights of Riverside Women. The proposal, under review in the Chamber of Deputies, aims to ensure social inclusion, territorial justice and sustainable development of Brazilian riverside communities.
The text defines a riverside woman as someone who lives in rural or difficult-to-access areas along the banks of rivers, lakes, creeks and floodplains, with their livelihood, culture and social organization linked to the aquatic and forest environment.
"Riverside women constitute a social group of enormous relevance to the organization of their communities," says the author of the project, Deputy Dilvanda Faro (PT-PA). "They are producers of food, guardians of traditional knowledge about the management of aquatic and forest ecosystems, responsible for family and community care, and protagonists in the preservation of biodiversity," she adds.
Actions
The proposal establishes guidelines for the public sector's activities in various social and economic areas.
In healthcare, the text foresees the provision of care to riverside women through:
- units adapted to the local conditions;
- primary care teams;
- mental health initiatives; and
- guarantee of sexual and reproductive rights.
In education, it determines access to basic and vocational education, including modalities suitable for the local reality, such as the pedagogy of alternation, as well as programs for literacy of young people and adults.
For economic autonomy, the proposal establishes:
- access to adapted rural credit;
- technical assistance;
- support for organizations in cooperatives and marketing networks; and
- recognition of unpaid care work;
The text also covers the right to adequate housing, with housing projects adapted to the local reality, basic sanitation, access to clean water, and the inclusion of riverside communities in environmental conservation and climate change adaptation actions;
territorial management.
The project ensures the protection of riverside women against all forms of violence, including those resulting from land conflicts and the use of natural resources.
Furthermore, it ensures the participation of women in territorial management, in land regularization processes, and in community councils and associations.
Coordination
The coordination of the national policy will be the responsibility of the federal agency responsible for regional development, in coordination with ministries in areas such as health, education, environment, agriculture, and women's protection.
The project provides for the creation of the Intersectoral Monitoring Committee, composed in a parity of government and civil society representatives. The group will be responsible for developing the National Plan of Rights for Women and Riverside Communities, defining indicators, and publishing annual evaluation reports of actions.
Gap
Dilvanda Faro emphasizes that the proposal will fill a gap resulting from the fragmentation of existing government actions.
"By establishing a structured national policy, this measure will enable riverside women to fully exercise their citizenship and their role in preserving ecosystems and promoting sustainable development in their territories," it concludes.
Processing
The project will be reviewed, inconclusive nature, by the commissions of the Amazon and Indigenous and Traditional Peoples; of Women's Rights; of Finance and Taxation; and of Constitution and Justice and of Citizenship.
To become law, it must be approved by the Chamber and the Senate.
Learn more about the legislative process of bills