Santos FC kick off August Lilac awareness campaign at Vila Belmiro | OneFootball

The Santos FC Women’s Commission, in partnership with the City of Santos Department for Women, Citizenship, Diversity and Human Rights, launched the Agosto Lilás (Lilac August) campaign today (7), marking the 20th anniversary of the Maria da Penha Law. The campaign aims to raise public awareness about the importance of preventing and combating domestic and family violence against women.

To mark the launch, Santos FC welcomed the teams from Procon Santos and the Department for Women to put up posters for the “Não se Cale” (“Do Not Stay Silent”) campaign throughout the Urbano Caldeira Stadium, in order to raise awareness among the Club’s female supporters.

The “Não se Cale” Protocol is based on State Laws No. 17,621/2023 and No. 17,635/2023, regulated by State Decree No. 67,856/2023. The legislation applies to bars, restaurants, nightclubs, concert venues, event spaces, and similar establishments.

These places must display informational posters in visible areas and in women’s restrooms, provide regular training for their staff, and assist anyone who feels threatened or is in a situation of violence.

Women can ask for help verbally or use the universal hand signal for help. Upon identifying the request, the establishment must receive her in a safe and private place, away from the possible aggressor, and offer the necessary support, always respecting her wishes. Depending on the case, medical services or public safety authorities may be called.

“This campaign is extremely important because the Maria da Penha Law, which turns 20 today, plays a fundamental role in punishing the perpetrator, the abusive man, but it also serves to guide society as a whole by providing information on how to prevent women from entering the cycle of violence. The ‘Não se Cale’ Protocol is here to protect these women through a permanent public policy. The partnership with the Santos FC Women’s Commission has been in place since last year; we have already carried out actions on the field itself, during matches at Vila Belmiro, and the ‘Não se Cale’ Protocol strengthens this work even further in combating domestic violence,” said Nina Barbosa, Secretary for Women, Citizenship, Diversity and Human Rights.

“More important than a woman knowing the law is for an institution, such as Santos FC, to know how to act in these cases. So, first of all, everyone must be trained through the course offered by the State Department. Santos FC is ahead of the curve by having a support room. A woman who feels harmed or at risk, in any imminent situation, can approach an employee, who will remove her from the situation, take her to the support room, and make the right decisions,” added Sidney Vida, director of PROCON.

“It is extremely important for us, here with the Women’s Commission, to carry out such a meaningful action on the date the Maria da Penha Law turns 20 years old, and acts like this only complement our work and strengthen this campaign to protect women,” said Márcia Mendes, accounting coordinator and founder of the Santos FC Women’s Commission.

Procon-Santos works both to guide service providers and to inspect compliance with these obligations. More than simply checking whether the posters are displayed, the work seeks to ensure that teams are prepared to recognize a request for help and act in a safe, humane way, without embarrassing the woman.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.