President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated, this Tuesday (16), at a meeting of the Social Participation Council, at Palácio do Planalto, that combating violence against women must be a government priority and must also be discussed among men. 
“This is now part of my agenda. I want to be on the front line with men and women who want this country to be a decent, dignified and gender-respectful country,” said the president.
Lula argued that the problem of violence against women and feminicide requires a new attitude from men and also effective campaigns, including in the field of education.
“It’s an educational process that has to be taken to school. It must be in elementary school. The boy cannot think he is better than the girl”, he said.
The president said he invited representatives of the Judiciary and Legislature to take initiatives to change the scenario. “Where are we going to end up? So we, men, tend to stay in the comfort of our machismo and say, well, it’s a woman’s fight”, he pondered at the meeting in front of representatives of 68 entities that make up the council, established in 2023.
Context of hate
The council is the body that listens to civil society and advises the President of the Republic in dialogue with social organizations, popular and trade union movements.
Present at the event, board member Sonia Maria Coelho Gomes Orellana said that violence against women has its roots in gender and racial inequalities.
She stated that violations have grown in the context of hatred, conservatism and racism fueled by the far right.
“Brazil is among the most violent countries in the world for women, especially black women and women of divergent sexuality,” he said.
Another member of the council, Ivonete Carvalho, representative of the Coordination of Black Entities, added the need to protect traditional communities and called for progress towards more inclusion and combating racism.
“We are equal in social inclusion and rights, but we have our diversity”, he stated.
Mercosur-EU Agreement
At this Tuesday’s event, President Lula also said that he hopes to sign the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union at the summit of heads of state, on the 20th, in Foz do Iguaçu (PR). The meeting is expected to be attended by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
“It is an agreement that, if successful, involves a GDP of 22 trillion dollars and a population of 722 million inhabitants”, highlighted the president.
Read more about Mercosul’s expectation of an agreement – https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/internacional/noticia/2025-12/acordo-mercosul-uniao-europeia-pode-ser-assinado-no-sabado
Lula says he believes that the two blocs intend to reach an agreement, but there is resistance in France due to protests by rural producers in that country, as they would be afraid of losing market share due to competition with Brazilians.
“They are different qualities and we are giving more than they are. And I hope that my friend [Emmanuel] Macron and the Prime Minister [Giorgia] Meloni, from Italy, take responsibility.” Lula said he hopes to have the “good news” of signing the agreement.
