Lula unveils anti-femicide plan at 7th Marcha das Margaridas
Brazilian President Lula attended the closing ceremony of the 7th Marcha das Margaridas (“Daisies’ March”) in Brasília on Wednesday (Aug. 26). While addressing some 100 thousand women, he talked about political violence, recalled his time in prison in the city of Curitiba and mentioned the death of Margarida Alves, a rural worker from Paraíba state who was shot dead outside her home in 1983. The march is named after her and takes place every four years.
“The powerful, the fascists, and coup plotters might kill one, two or three daisies, but they stand no chance against the arrival of spring,” he said. “Your coming here today,” he went on, “is proof that only those who don’t know the tenacity of men and women of this country can consider staging a coup.”
The president also announced the creation of an emergency land reform plan and a national pact to prevent femicide. “Our agendas are convergent. Our dreams are the same. That’s why I came back, to make Brazil a country capable of redressing injustices.”
The president also stressed the need for a culture of respect in rural as well as urban areas. “We’ll no longer tolerate discrimination, misogyny, and gender violence. We can’t live with so many women being beaten and killed in their own homes every day, nor can it be normal for a woman to earn less than a man in the same job,” he said alongside a large entourage of ministers.
According to Lula, the first seven months of his mandate have been dedicated to restarting and strengthening public policies “destroyed in recent years.” As an example, he cited the resumption of the Food Acquisition Plan and the Safra Plan—which the government plans to turn into the biggest-ever family farming program ever.
“The results of these efforts can already be seen. Food prices are falling, and unemployment has also dropped. Brazil is already better and will get even better. The economy will continue to grow and we’ll share the results of this growth with the Brazilian people. It only makes sense for a country to grow if the wealth from this growth is distributed, gets into your hands, makes the wheels of the economy turn, and improves people’s lives.”
