Weekly Show

VIDEO | Bolsonaro vetoes bill on free menstrual products

Also: Fuel prices hikes in Brazil and a new archaeological site is found

São Paulo (SP) |
Veto de Jair Bolsonaro ao projeto de lei que garante distribuição gratuita de absorventes é chocante, mas não é novidade - Evaristo Sa / AFP

The brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, vetoed a bill to combat so-called period poverty, which occurs when people cannot afford or access necessary menstrual products such as sanitary pads and tampons. The federal government claimed that the bill did not indicate the source of funding.

Continua após publicidade

Data from Unicef shows that 4 million brazilian children have no access to essential menstrual products in their educational institutions, which directly influences their school performance and can make they stop attending school.

"I think we need to have this dialogue with society about the dignity we deserve, that women deserve. We also need to talk about the role of the state. The state isn’t doing a favor; we pay taxes, and the public policies must attend to the people and civil society. But we need to give women and girls access to information because we fight for our rights only when we have information", says Daniele Braz, economist and member of Curumim Group.

Read more: The struggle for reproductive rights is global

Also on this week’s program: A new archaeological site is found on the Alagoas state, in the northeastern region of Brazil. The rupestrian art from thousands of years agobecame crochet works and guarantee the flux of tourists to the region. In the culture segment, you will hear Gal Costa, one of the fundamental voices of MPB and learn how to make banana ice cream, a recipe that is so easy that it looks like magic.

All What's Happening in Brazil episodes are available at Brasil de Fato's YouTube channel, where you'll also find a special English-content playlist. Partners who wish to include a longer version of the show in their schedule may contact our international team at [email protected].

For more news about Brazil and our region, visit our website.

Edited by: Arturo Hartmann