On 5 June, the Faculty of Law – Porto School of the Portuguese Catholic University hosted the conference ‘Luso-Brazilian Dialogues on Digital Violence and Misogyny’, a hybrid event that brought together Portuguese and Brazilian experts to discuss the contemporary challenges threatening women’s rights.
Organised and chaired by Sandra Tavares, associate professor at the Faculty of Law of the Portuguese Catholic University and researcher at the Centre for Legal Studies and Research (CEID), the conference sought to analyse new forms of violence against women, particularly in the digital environment, as well as to reflect on the legal and political responses needed to tackle the resurgence of misogynistic discourse and gender-based attacks.
The presentations were given by Mariana Vilas Boas, Mônica Sapucaia Machado and Sandra Tavares, researchers affiliated with the Women, Income and Democracy Research Group, who conducted a multidisciplinary analysis of gender-based violence, fundamental rights and the impact of new technologies on women’s lives.
In her presentation, Mariana Vilas Boas, a legal scholar and researcher at CEID, discussed the evolution of the legal concept of rape in the light of national and European law. Taking the Istanbul Convention as her starting point, she highlighted the growing centrality of consent in the definition of sexual violence offences and analysed legislative developments in Portugal, as well as case law decisions that highlight the persistent challenges in the interpretation and application of criminal law relating to sexual violence. The researcher also reflected on recent European discussions regarding the harmonisation of standards relating to the protection of victims and the fight against violence against women.
For her part, Mônica Sapucaia Machado, a Brazilian lecturer and researcher specialising in democracy, gender and artificial intelligence, focused her presentation on digital violence against women and on what she described as the “new frontier of misogyny”. Drawing on the Brazilian context, she presented data showing the rise in gender-based violence in contrast to the decline in overall lethal violence, warning of the increasing spread of misogynistic content on digital platforms. Emerging phenomena associated with artificial intelligence were also discussed, such as the creation of non-consensual sexualised images through deepfakes and ‘nudification’ tools, as well as the regulatory challenges posed by the so-called digital ‘macho-sphere’ and online hate speech.
Throughout the conference, the cultural and institutional narratives that continue to contribute to the trivialisation of violence against women were also examined. Through the presentation of high-profile cases and examples drawn from Portuguese case law, the importance of dismantling gender prejudices still present in public and legal discourse was emphasised, reinforcing the need for an approach centred on human rights and equality.
The session provided a forum for academic dialogue between Portugal and Brazil on issues of growing social and legal significance, reaffirming the Portuguese Catholic University’s commitment to promoting research, scientific debate and the defence of women’s fundamental rights.