Violence against women concerns us all

When looking at this achievement, I see the result of the union of many people and institutions that never gave up believing that it was possible to offer more humane, more welcoming and more dignified care to women in our municipality. None of this would be possible without the joint work of the State Government, City Hall, the Network to Combat Violence Against Women, the Civil Police, the Judiciary, the Public Ministry, the OAB and so many partners who embraced this cause.

I believe that the biggest transformation is not within the walls of the police station. It needs to happen within each of us.

Violence against women is not a private problem. It’s not a “family fight”. It is a social problem and, precisely for this reason, it requires the commitment of the entire society. As long as we see this reality as the responsibility only of victims or security institutions, we will continue to arrive too late.

We need to educate our children in respect, equality and peace. We need to teach, from an early age, that no one has the right to control, humiliate, threaten or attack another person. The fight against violence begins at home, goes through schools and becomes stronger when each citizen understands that they also have a role in this transformation.

I want this police station to be a place where fear gives way to courage. Where silence is replaced by listening. Where pain finds shelter. And where justice stops seeming distant and becomes a concrete presence in the lives of those who need it most.

I also want every woman who walks through those doors to know that her life matters. That it will be received with respect, privacy and humanity. That there is a network there prepared to welcome, protect and help you start over.

We still have many challenges ahead. Violence numbers continue to remind us that we need to advance more and more in public policies for protection, prevention and awareness. We cannot accept that women continue to live in fear in their own homes.

There is a phrase that I make a point of repeating: shame needs to change sides. Those who should feel shame are those who commit violence, never those who have the courage to report it and seek help.

May this achievement be just the beginning of a fairer society, where no woman needs to choose between her own safety and silence. I will continue to believe that, when we walk together, we are capable of transforming realities and building a future in which respect, equality and peace stop being just ideals and become part of our daily lives.

Because, in the end, what we all want is something very simple: to live with freedom, dignity and without fear.