Brazil

Specialized bodies - Gender equality

• Joint Committee for Violence Against Women January 2014
• Women's Secreteriat July 2013
• Women´s Rights Committee April 2016
• Women's Secretariat of the Chamber of Deputies January 2013

Women's Secreteriat July 2013

About

Nature

Permanent or temporary (ad-hoc)

View field in the data dictionary

Permanent

See historical data for this field

Related to Chambers

Chamber of Deputies

Themes

Gender equality

Women's caucus

Members

Chairperson(s)

(2022-12)

See historical data for this field

Person

Person details for the Chair

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Tereza Nelma (Female)
Date of birth: 07 Oct 1957

Political affiliation

No information available

Committee functions

The Committee has the following functions:

Mainstream gender equality into the work of (other) parliamentary committees and of Parliament as a whole

Yes

Scrutinise all Bills from a gender perspective

Yes

Scrutinise the Executive’s policy from a gender perspective

Yes

Obtain information from the Executive about the justification for actions or inaction which affect gender equality and women’s rights

Yes

Scrutinise State compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

Yes

Initiate inquiries of its own choosing

Yes

Scrutinise proposed treaties on gender equality, and other international treaties with implications for gender equality and women’s rights, and report to Parliament thereon, prior to ratification

No

Ascertain and review the Executive’s reasons for not acceding to or ratifying existing international human rights treaties on gender equality and women’s rights

Yes

Scrutinise the Executive’s response to human rights judgments - of national, regional and international courts – that have gender considerations

Yes

Monitor the adequacy of the existing national system for the promotion of gender equality

No

Review the allocation and expenditure of funds in the State budget to support measures to promote gender equality and protect women’s rights

Yes

Other important functions, please specify

- Members of the Women’s Secretariat take part in the College of Leaders weekly meetings with the President of the Chamber in order to determine the Chamber Floor agenda and which bills are to be voted, debated or amended.
- During the period for the Leadership Communications, as part of the Chamber Floor activities, members of the Secretariat can speak for 5 minutes to express the position of the Women’s Caucus regarding the voting of proposals and knowledge of the actions of interest
- The President of the Chamber can appoint members of the Secretariat to officially represent the Chamber in national, international, solemn, ceremonial or protocol events as well as events specifically focusing on the status of women.

Committee involvement in international and national reporting mechanisms

Such as the UN Human Rights Council and its' Universal Periodic Review, the UN CEDAW Committee etc.

Consulted in the preparation of the most recent national report to the CEDAW Committee

Yes

Included in the official delegation which orally presented the most recent national report to the CEDAW Committee

Yes

Discussed the conclusions and recommendations which the CEDAW Committee adopted as a result

Yes

Conducted hearings with the Executive about its plans to implement CEDAW conclusions and recommendations

Yes

Involved in the preparation of national reports to other international or regional mechanisms (Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council on Women, peace and security, the Beijing Platform for action…)

No

Committee powers

The Committee has the power to:

Propose amendments to legislation

Yes

Introduce bills into Parliament

Yes

Initiate parliamentary debates on its reports or on subjects of its choosing

Yes

Carry out inquiries

Yes

Hold oral evidence hearings

Yes

Compel witnesses to attend

Yes

Compel the production of documents and papers

Yes

Make recommendations to the Executive

Yes

Conduct visits, including visits abroad

Yes

Access places of detention without notice

Yes

Committee working methods

The Committee:

Adopts an annual or longer-term work plan

No

Publishes reports on its work on the parliamentary website

Yes

Usually reaches consensus on the issues on which it reports

Yes

Systematically follows up its reports and recommendations

Yes

Reports regularly to Parliament on its activities

Yes

Number of specialised staff to service committee

12

Cooperation and coordination

The Committee regularly cooperates and coordinates (e.g. through sharing of reports; meetings; joint follow-up action) with:

Other parliamentary committees

Always

Civil society organisations

Sometimes

National Human Rights Institution(s) and National Institution(s) for the promotion of gender equality

Often called “Commissions” and/or “Ombudspersons” in the area of human rights

View field in the data dictionary

Often

Academic institutions, including human rights and gender equality research institutes

Often

The media

Sometimes

Women's caucus

Formal or informal

No information available

The caucus is open to male MPs

No information available

The caucus is cross-party

No information available

There are rules governing the functioning of the caucus

No information available

Issues dealt with by the caucus

No information available

The caucus has a strategic plan or plan of action

No information available

The caucus has a communication plan

No information available

Contact information for the Committee

Contact / Address

No information available

Phone

+55-321558801

Fax number

No information available

E-mail

[email protected]

Web site

https://www2.camara.leg.br/a-camara/estruturaadm/secretarias/secretaria-da-mulher/o-que-e-a-secretaria-da-mulher