Main points
- Brazil currently lacks a legal mechanism to address sexual corruption, leaving victims in a grey zone between anti-corruption and gender violence laws. To fill this gap, Bill 4534/21 proposes a new penal type criminalising the conditioning of official duties on sexual acts.
- A major barrier to legal and policy innovation is empirical invisibility. Systematic data collection is essential to overcoming this challenge by revealing the true prevalence and dynamics of sexual corruption.
- Criminalisation must be paired with judicial preparedness. Laws are necessary to fill the gap, but awareness, training and capacity-building for justice and law enforcement officials are essential for effective implementation.
- Framing matters. Presenting sexual corruption as both a corruption and gender-based violence issue helps broaden political alliances and increase public salience.
- Strategic sponsorship and political champions are critical to legislative success. Those engaging in policy reform should identify and support credible political allies who can carry proposals forward within legislative systems.
- Joint action between gender and anti-corruption actors is also critical. Policymakers, donors, and advocates should encourage collaboration between traditionally siloed sectors to address intersectional abuses like sexual corruption.
- External actors, such as international bodies or NGOs, can play a pivotal role by funding pilot observatories, data initiatives and cross-sector coalitions that document, name, and expose sexual corruption, laying the groundwork for legal change.
- Symbolic timing and political windows matter. Leveraging high-profile dates and aligning proposals with broader legislative agendas can unlock political opportunity for less visible issues.
