Domestic violence affects 38% of women with disabilities in Brazil

More than one third of women with disabilities in Brazil (38%) have been victims of domestic violence perpetrated by men at some point in their lives, according to research by DataSenado. Among the sample of 2,828 women with disabilities surveyed, that percentage corresponds to approximately 1,075 respondents.

In addition to this group being affected more frequently than women without disabilities (28%), the study shows that 19% suffered assaults in the past 12 months and, for 69% of these, the cycle of violence has persisted for more than one year.

This is the first time that the National Survey on Violence against Women, conducted by DataSenado and the Women's Observatory against Violence (OMV), has incorporated self-identification of people with disabilities.

The survey contacted 21,641 Brazilian women aged 16 or older by telephone between May 16 and July 8, 2025. The overall margin of error is 2 percentage points.

Of the total, 2,828 self-identified as women with disabilities, equivalent to 13% of the sample, projecting an estimated universe of 11.7 million Brazilian women.

Among victims with disabilities, sexual and patrimonial violence appear more frequently than among women without disabilities. Sexual violence was reported by 39% of victims with disabilities, compared to 28% of women without disabilities. Patrimonial violence, in turn, affected 46%.

In 65% of cases, the perpetrator was the victim's husband or partner at the time of the most serious assault. The first assault occurred before age 19 for 36% of victims and between the ages of 20 and 29 for another 24%.

For Maria Slemenson, superintendent of Instituto Natura Brasil, the combination of ableism and sexism can amplify situations of control and restrict the autonomy of women with disabilities.

"The situation becomes especially delicate when controlling behavior is presented as care or protection. A person may control someone's phone, documents, or financial resources under the guise of helping them. When that care strips away autonomy, it may be concealing a situation of violence," she explains.

For Talita Oliveira, analyst and social worker at the OMV of the Federal Senate, the higher incidence of sexual and patrimonial violence is linked to historical barriers faced by these women.

"There is a mistaken notion that women with disabilities have no sexuality or do not exercise autonomy over their own bodies. Furthermore, in the case of patrimony, economic or care-related dependency is used to restrict access to resources and benefits such as the BPC," she states.

The difficulty of recognizing one's own situation also emerges in the data. Only 7% of women with disabilities who experienced situations consistent with assault identified themselves as victims.

"In a society where violence is trivialized, controlling and coercive behaviors do not always seem like violence — but they are. For women with disabilities, dependency on the perpetrator makes it even harder to name these experiences," Talita Oliveira points out.

A lack of information about protective mechanisms is another obstacle. Approximately 18% of respondents with disabilities say they have no knowledge of the Maria da Penha Law, double the 9% recorded among women without disabilities. Regarding emergency protective measures, 23% say they have no knowledge of the mechanism, compared to 15% among women without disabilities.

When violence occurs, 83% of victims with disabilities do not report the assault. Only 16% turned to the Ligue 180 hotline. Among those who sought an emergency protective order, 19% reported that the aggressor violated the order.

The difficulties in seeking help may also be related to communication barriers and lack of privacy, says Talita Oliveira.

"A deaf woman may need a specific means of communication, while another with an intellectual disability may struggle to explain the situation. If the cell phone or telephone is controlled by the aggressor, filing a report represents a high risk," analyzes the OMV social worker.

Financial dependence is another factor that can make it harder to break the cycle of violence. According to the research, 78% of women with disabilities do not hold paid employment, equivalent to approximately 2,206 of the 2,828 respondents. Another 48%, approximately 1,357 women, are unable to support themselves financially. Among women without disabilities, the rate is 31%.

Household income is also low: 80% live on up to two minimum wages and only 3% belong to families with income exceeding six minimum wages.

Among those who work, 46% are self-employed, and of that group, 72% work informally. In terms of education, 10% declared they are not literate and only 11% completed higher education.

This picture of vulnerability is also reflected in perceptions about the spaces in which women live. For 29% of women with disabilities, the family environment is the place of greatest disrespect, compared to 21% among women in general.

The perception of sexism is also significant: 72% consider Brazil a highly sexist country and 56% believe that women are not treated with respect in the country. Among respondents with disabilities, 55% self-identified as Black, mixed-race, or Indigenous, and 45% as white or Asian-Brazilian.

For Maria Slemenson, addressing violence requires public services to consider the different needs of women with disabilities.

"Accessibility is also protection. It is necessary to connect information, accessible services, and trained professionals," she argues. She cites the partnership with Instituto Natura in the Alagoas Lilás program as an example of ongoing coordination within the support network.

Talita Oliveira states that the formulation of public policies must include women with disabilities themselves in discussions about the measures that affect them. "Public policies must truly incorporate the motto 'nothing about us, without us.'"