IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH | Page 26

IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics)
statistics. Despite the fact these data validate the
image of a majority black country, the State does not

hell), and the rate of maternal death due to lack of adequate medical attention (because of non-existing
basic services like water and proper sewage drainage,

Peoples’ Leadership Walk, organized by civil society around time of
Rio +20; Afro-Brazilian women promoting their “inoculate against
racism and lesbophobia, and for green economies” campaign

properly meet this population’s demands.
On a daily basis, black women endure multiple forms
of violence—moral, psychological, physical, sexual,
and so many others. This is a result of the racism that
situates them—situates us—in a subaltern situation in
this society. For us to be able to change the dynamic
of the violence perpetrated by Brazilian society, we
must be able to act in the realm of public policy, because governments tend to think that the way to control violence is by using more violence. One can appreciate this in the number of homicides committed by
the Police (actions whose victims are primarily young
black men, whose mothers then must endure a living

among others).
Some progress was made in public policy in recent
years: the Act for Racial Equality (Law 12.288/10)
was approved in 2012. It contains laws and policies
that were approved even prior to its own approval. An
example is Law 10.639/03, which makes mandatory
the study and teaching of the History of Africa, African and Afro-Brazilian culture at the elementary level.
It also includes a National Policy for Comprehensive
Healthcare for the Black Population (PNSIPN), which
was approved in 2006 and mandates that the right to
healthcare for everyone should be guaranteed by universal social and economic policies, for the purpose of

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