The Brumadinho dam disaster in 2019 killed 270 people and caused extensive environmental damage that affected the livelihoods of 944,000 people. Men were brought in to carry out repairs, and violence against women increased at home and outside the home. This was attributed partly to the influx of the new workers and partly to households under pressure when livelihoods collapsed. On the third anniversary of the disaster, women have described the effects on them when drinking-water supplies were destroyed, as well as fisheries and other sources of income. They said that their livelihoods, particularly in agriculture and fishing, had been ‘extinguished’ because of contamination, shortages of water and lack of investment in production. Christian Aid said, ‘Families have been torn apart and the community remains devastated three years on. It is chilling to understand countless women have been subjected to the horrors of gender-based violence.’
Brazil: violence against women surges
Written by David Fletcher 03 Feb 2022Additional Info
- Pray: for the church and charities to draw attention to the situation and bring about changes that reinstate women’s rights and free them from violence and the ability to work. (Galatians 3:28)
- More: www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2022/4-february/news/world/violence-against-women-surged-after-dam-collapse-christian-aid-reports