The Brazilian government has teamed up with the Donald Trump administration and some of the most conservative governments globally - Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia and Uganda - to co-sponsor a political statement against abortion and in defense of the heterosexual family.
The text emphasizes that "women play a fundamental role in the family" and that "a harmonious partnership between men and women is fundamental for their well-being and that of their families."
Named the Geneva Consensus Declaration, it was presented this Thursday afternoon (22) by the US Secretary of Health, Alex Azar, and by the Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. Brazil was represented by ministers Ernesto Araújo (International Relations) and Damares Alves (Women, Family, and Human Rights).
In a pre-recorded video, both Ernesto and Damares condemned the right to abortion and defended the family as "a natural and fundamental nucleus of society".
Brazil has always led the agenda in the health area, because of the size of its Unified Health System, but "since Jair Bolsonaro took over, he has acted to impress his conservative vision on women's health issues", says lawyer Paulo Lugon Arantes , who practices international law and human rights in the European Union.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon