Lower house passes bill to fight violence against women in nightclubs

The Brazilian lower house on Tuesday (Aug. 1) gave its seal of approval to a bill instituting the Não é Não (“no means no”) protocol. The measure aims to prevent harassment and violence directed at women in settings where alcoholic beverages are sold, including bars and nightclubs. The piece of legislation now moves to the Senate for further deliberation.

Drafted by federal representative Maria do Rosário in conjunction with 26 other lawmakers, the text stipulates that establishments must safeguard women and extend assistance in instances of violence and embarrassment. Furthermore, they are mandated to take the victim away from the aggressor swiftly and remove the attacker from the premises if necessary. To ensure this, these businesses are required to monitor potentially hazardous scenarios.

At least one staff member must be aptly trained to carry out the protocol. The provision also mandates conspicuous display of information on how to resort to this protocol, as well as contact details for both the Military Police and the Women’s Assistance Hotline.

Maria do Rosário underscored the critical nature of protective measures and support for women.

“This cannot be an optional protocol because when we are faced with violence, inaction is not an option. It is an ethical imperative, a mandate of duty, a responsibility,” she declared.

The representative cited the case of a young woman who fell victim to rape in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, over the past weekend, after being left inebriated and unconscious at her doorstep by a rideshare driver.

“Yesterday [Sunday], once again, we were appalled by a scene of a young girl abandoned at her doorstep, taken from her very doorstep, asleep, unconscious, violated. The ratification of this protocol is meant to prevent such grievous circumstances,” she added.

The rapporteur for the bill, representative Renata Abreu, also hailed the approval as a triumph.

“It is another victory for all of us women, who represent over 52 percent of society, a stride toward policies that can curb the prevalence of rape culture in our nation and foster a culture of safeguarding women,” she said.

The Brazilian protocol draws inspiration from Barcelona’s No Callem initiative, invoked in the case leading to the arrest of football player Daniel Alves, accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a Catalan nightclub back in December last year.