The Ministry of Women (MMulheres) signed partnershipthis Monday (9), with the University of Brasília (UnB), to develop architectural guidelines for the construction of the future Casa da Mulher Indígena (CAMI), which will serve indigenous women in situations of violence. 
According to the ministry, each unit must have infrastructure suited to the needs and demands of women from different biomes. The project must follow the guidelines of the LAB Women, Architecture and Territories (LAB_M.AT), the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU), UnB, and consider buildings sensitive to nature.
During the ceremony, the Minister of Women, Cida Gonçalves, said that, to prepare the project, the department has already spoken with leaders of indigenous peoples, government representatives, such as the ministries of Indigenous Peoples, Health, Justice and Security Public, in addition to the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (Funai).
Brasília (DF), 09/12/2024 – The Minister of Women, Cida Gonçalves, announces a project for the Indigenous Women’s House – Photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
“It is a great challenge to build the Casa da Mulher Indígena, as what exists in the Casa da Mulher Brasileira cannot be included in the Casa da Mulher Indígena. Therefore, dialogues with indigenous women are necessary in hearings, plenary sessions, assemblies and conferences held in partnership with the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, because architectural design and policy must be worked on together and collectively”, he said.
Historically, violence against indigenous women is not limited to the family environment, but occurs in different sectors of society, influenced by historical, cultural and social factors, related, above all, to the violation of the rights of indigenous peoples, aggravated by racism and sexism.
The dean of UnB, Rozana Reigota Naves, anticipated that the signing of the Decentralized Execution Term (TED) should fill a significant gap in public policies aimed at indigenous women who face multiple forms of violence, often without the necessary support. “The creation of an architectural space sensitive to indigenous realities is a fundamental step towards mitigating the vulnerabilities of these women, while valuing their traditions and promoting the autonomy of their communities.”
“We have to work on actively listening to indigenous communities and, above all, promoting that the results of these research return to the communities”, stated Rozana Reigota Naves.
Indigenous Women’s Houses
In total, the ministry is preparing the construction of six Indigenous Women’s Houses, one unit in each Brazilian biome (Caatinga, Pampa, Pantanal, Amazon, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest). In these public facilities, specific reception and assistance services will be offered to indigenous women in situations of violence, with a traditional identity, that take into account their cultural aspects and respect their dignity.
In addition to referring victims to the specialized care network, the project being prepared foresees that the work of the multidisciplinary team will train leaders, as well as develop educational and awareness-raising actions in communities on the topic.
Brazilian Women’s House
The Casa da Mulher Brasileira is one of the axes of the Women Living Without Violence Program, resumed by the Ministry of Women in March 2023.
The objective of these units is to facilitate access to specialized services to guarantee conditions to combat violence, women’s empowerment and their economic autonomy.
Focusing on multidisciplinary and humanized care for women, Casa da Mulher Brasileira integrates, in the same space, several specialized services: reception and screening; psychosocial support; police station; Court; Public Prosecutor’s Office, Public Defender’s Office; child care – toy library (accommodates children aged 0 to 12, who accompany the women while they wait for care); transit accommodation; transport hub; promotion of economic autonomy, through financial education, professional qualification and insertion into the job market.
Currently, there are ten Brazilian Women’s Houses in operation: Campo Grande, Fortaleza, Ceilândia (DF), Curitiba, São Luís, Boa Vista, São Paulo, Salvador, Teresina and Ananindeua (PA).
Another 17 units are under construction, with ten reference and service centers for women and seven more Casas da Mulher Brasileira under construction, located in Manaus, Aracaju, Palmas, Vila Velha (ES), Goiânia, Macapá (AP) and Belo Horizonte ( MG).
The federal government’s goal is to have, in total, 40 Brazilian Women’s Houses in operation, by 2026, in all units of the Federation.
