Two Brazilian women stand in the door of their cell.
They share the cell with three other women.
Another World Is Possible
Breaking the thread that ties women
to domestic violence and prison in Brazil
by Joanne Blaney and Heidi Cerneka
Leah dos Santos admitted with great embarrassment, but also as a challenge to us, “I won’t lie to all of you. The other day, I went into the market and stole crackers to feed my children. I couldn’t bear to listen to their complaints of hunger anymore. I know that it is wrong, but I’ll do it again, if necessary.” Leah participates in a self-help group at a domestic violence center in São Paulo. She and her four children are recovering from years of abuse from her husband. Leah works hard at a fruit and vegetable fair during the week, rising at 4:00am each day. Her children depend on her, and she must use most of her small salary to pay rent on their apartment.
Fabiana Teixeira, another member of the self-help group, warned Leah about the consequences of stealing. “Who will take care of your children when you are in jail? How will you help them then?” Fabiana speaks from experience. She lived most of her childhood on the street, became addicted to drugs and spent years in juvenile detention centers and jail. Today, she and her two children live in a shelter, and she is slowly rebuilding her life.
Get educated about domestic violence and the cycles that keep Brazilian women in prisons or in struggles when they leave. And read stories from Global Exchange participants about their impressions of a Brazilian prison.
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Joanne Blaney and Heidi Cerneka are Maryknoll lay missioners working in São Paulo, Brazil. Joanne is the coordinator of Fala Mulher, a nongovernmental organization that works with women who are victims of domestic violence. Heidi coordinates pastoral care for incarcerated women in Brazil. |
