Lula launches package of measures for women that includes equal pay

Equity

The president said that the courts should oblige businessmen to pay equal wages if gender differences are detected.

Brasilia DF) – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed several bills and decrees this Wednesday (8) during an event celebrating International Women’s Day. Among them, the highlight is a bill (PL) that establishes equal pay for men and women who perform the same function at work. The text will still have to be discussed in Congress to enter into force.

The president stated that the courts should oblige businessmen to pay equal wages, if differences between genders are detected. “There will be many people who will not want to pay, but for that reason the Justice has to work to force the businessman to pay”, said Lula.

The issue of gender pay equality was one of the commitments assumed by Lula during the electoral campaign, as part of a political calculation to increase his advantage among women, since the female electorate’s rejection of former president Jair Bolsonaro was greater than than in the case of men.

The wage gap between men and women, which had been on a downward trend until 2020, rose again in the country and reached 22% at the end of 2022, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Although paying different wages is prohibited by the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT), there is a lack of mechanisms to ensure that the law is enforced.

Lula also signed a PL establishing Marielle Franco National Day, in honor of the Rio de Janeiro city councilor murdered in 2018.

The government’s package to advance the issue of women’s rights, in addition to the issue of equal pay, involves the following actions:

Menstrual health and dignity

Decree determines the free distribution of pads in the Unified Health System (SUS). It will also launch a gender and race equity program among SUS servers.

Education and Sports

Resumption of work on 1,189 day care centers that had been halted. Vacancies in professional and technological education courses and programs will also be guaranteed for 20,000 vulnerable women over the next two years. Decree that determines maternity leave for Bolsa Atleta members was signed.

Culture and Tourism

Public notice Ruth de Souza de Audiovisual will support unpublished projects by Brazilian filmmakers to make their first feature film. There are R$ 10 million in investments.

Science and Research

Decree establishes the National Policy for Inclusion, Permanence and Ascension of Girls and Women in Science, Technology and Innovation. It is estimated that there will be a CNPq public call for R$ 100 million, aimed at women in the exact sciences, engineering and computing.

Economy and Innovation

The Rural Women’s Economic Productive Organization program provides for the launch of a call for rural technical assistance for rural women with an investment of R$ 50 million and the prospect of assisting up to 20,000 women.

Credit and Acceleration

At Banco do Brasil, five Agro Mulher carts will travel the country offering differentiated credit for women, financial services and training for individuals and companies.

Caixa will promote Mulheres na Favela, qualification of women in three social innovation laboratories in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Salvador. BNDES, in turn, will emphasize the Garage Project, with acceleration of startups led by women.

Next to the president, on the main stage, were the first lady, Janja da Silva, former president Dilma Rousseff, vice president of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin, president of Caixa, Rita Serrano, and all 11 women ministers from the government. The Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes, sang the National Anthem.

Other politicians who participated in the event were the ministers of Defense, José Múcio; of Justice, Flávio Dino; of Ports and Airports, Márcio França; of Social Development, Wellington Dias; and Communications, Juscelino Filho. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad canceled his participation. The president of the PT, Gleisi Hoffmann (PT-PR), the deputies Maria do Rosário (PT-RS) and Erika Hilton (Psol-SP), the deputy José Guimarães (PT-CE) and the senator Eliziane Gama (Cidadania-MA ) were also present.

*With information from Istoé

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