‘Protected Woman’: Rondônia gives R$400 aid to victims of domestic violence

Iury Lima – Cenarium Magazine

VILHENA (RO) – Women from all 52 municipalities of Rondônia, who are victims of domestic violence and fit the profile that indicates social vulnerability, will receive incentives from the state government to give a new direction and meaning to their lives. Named “Protected Woman”, the program offers a monthly payment of R$ 400 for those with income of up to three minimum wages, in addition to a protective measure against the aggressor.

The first installment was paid on December 31, exclusively to Porto Velho residents, but the registration is available in all the regions of the state. The project was created by the State Secretariat for Social Assistance and Development (Seas), through Law nº 5.165, published in December. This way, the state is the first in the North region to promote the autonomy of women victims of violence.

How to receive the aid?

All women with an income of up to R$ 3.636, or three minimum wages, are entitled to the benefit. Another criterion is to have a protective measure against the aggressor. With this, all that is needed is to seek assistance at the Specialized Social Assistance Reference Centers (Creas) in the interior municipalities and present personal documents. In the case of Porto Velho, the service of the “Protected Woman” program takes place in the “Tudo Aqui” building, located downtown.

Interested applicants must present their CPF, RG, proof of residence (updated), court decision that proves the protective measure, and Social Security Number (NIS).

New course

Besides the payment of the benefit, the program created by Seas also offers the possibility of a new direction and meaning of life for women who do not have any kind of fixed income, through training and professional improvement courses aimed at entrepreneurship and the labor market. For 2022, the government guarantees the investment of R$ 1.7 million in these resources.

Moreover, according to the Executive, Rondônia is the 1st state in the North region to launch an assistance program that strengthens the autonomy of women victims of violence. For Luana Rocha, first lady and state secretary of Social Assistance, this is the victim’s opportunity to break the walls imposed by the aggressor.

“Financial dependencies are the main chains in this cycle of violence. It is a terrible situation for a woman or mother to go through violence and, at the same time, for the issue of children, to be stuck with the aggressor. The Government of Rondônia is committed to using the necessary resources to get women out of this cycle of violence”, said Luana Rocha.

Violence in numbers

Data from the Specialized Police Station for Attendance to Women (Deam) indicate that there were more than 9,800 registrations throughout the state in 2020. The annual average, only in Porto Velho, is 4,500 occurrences. “Having a program like ‘Protected Woman’, which really assists the victim, is of great value for this scenario”, said the delegate of Deam, Amanda Levi.

Only in the first three months of 2021, there were more than 2,400 victims of aggressions that occurred in the home environment or committed by partners, companions and other family members in all of the state of Rondonia. There were 2,378 cases in the second quarter.