Deputy Tabata Amaral (PSB-SP) said the Brazilian anti-misogyny bill is facing a wave of false attacks from members of parliament.
The controversy highlights the friction between legislative efforts to combat gender-based hatred and political factions that view such laws as ideological weapons. As the bill moves through the legislative process, the spread of misinformation threatens to distort public understanding of the legal changes.
The legislation, known as PL 896/2023 [1], aims to criminalize misogyny. Despite its goals, Amaral said the proposal has been the target of a wave of fake news, including from within the government [2].
Some of these attacks have characterized the bill as a political maneuver. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro said the anti-misogyny bill is a "trap of the PT" [3]. These assertions have led to confusion regarding the actual text of the law.
One specific piece of misinformation suggested that the bill would criminalize the constant interruption of a woman's speech. However, the Reuters Fact-Check team said the text that classifies the constant interruption of a woman's word as misogyny is not in project 896/2023 [4].
The bill has seen significant support in the upper house. On March 24, 2026, the Senate approved the measure [5]. The approval was described as unanimous [6], with reports indicating 67 votes in favor and no votes against or abstentions [7].
Despite the legislative momentum, the rhetoric surrounding the bill remains polarized. While some politicians label the law a trap, others, such as Ronaldo Caiado, have expressed full support for the approval of PL 896/2023 [8].
“"The proposal has been the target of a wave of fake news, including by parliamentarians."”
The battle over PL 896/2023 reflects a broader global trend where gender-based protections are framed by opponents as 'censorship' or political traps. The gap between the bill's unanimous Senate approval and the aggressive misinformation campaign suggests that while the legal framework for criminalizing misogyny is gaining institutional support, it remains a high-voltage point for political polarization in Brazil.
