Women's eNews (https://womensenews.org/author/thais-moraes/)
Brazil is on track to improve its maternal health statistics by 2015, one of the Millennium Development Goals. But the widespread problem of unsafe abortion, which affects a million women each year, stands in the way.
Brazilian women who work in rural areas and forests are pressing their campaign for legal and land rights. Last month, President Dilma Rousseff, a self-proclaimed ally, promised them floating health clinics for rural rivers and stronger enforcement of labor standards.
Domestic violence incidences in Brazil have decreased slightly during the past decade, but a slight dip is not what advocates had in mind. A 2006 law defined domestic violence clearly, with unexpected consequences.