Active Voice

In Brazil, violence against women is not only a public safety issue, but also a matter of narrative. Every day, cases of stalking, abuse, and femicide make headlines. Yet in the way such stories are told, something essential is often missing: the perpetrator. This is largely due to the media’s frequent use of the passive voice in such cases.
Expressions like “woman is killed” or “woman is assaulted” remain common, even in a context where 84.2% of femicides are committed by the victim’s partner and 64.3% occur inside the home, according to the Brazilian Public Security Yearbook. By placing the victim as the subject of the sentence and omitting the perpetrator, this language contributes to diluting responsibility and making the violence seem diffuse.
Based on this observation, UN Women Brazil is launching the Active Voice movement, created in partnership with Artplan, one of the largest independent agencies in Brazil, with 100% national capital. The initiative proposes a direct shift in how these cases are narrated: replacing passive constructions with the active voice, a way of writing that makes it explicit that violence against women always has a perpetrator.
“Advancing legislation and strengthening support services for women is essential, but it is not enough. Cultural change must happen alongside it. The way society talks about violence against women directly influences how it is understood. When language hides the aggressor, responsibility is also hidden. The press plays a central role in this and can help reshape this narrative, without normalization,” says Gallianne Palayret, UN Women Representative in Brazil.
More than a provocation about language, the movement will unfold into a practical tool designed for everyday newsroom use, and for the general public as well: an editorial guide to complement existing newsroom stylebooks, offering guidance on how to apply the active voice in cases of violence against women.
“For years, we’ve grown used to reading about violence as if it simply happens. But violence doesn’t just happen, someone commits it. And when that someone disappears from the sentence, responsibility disappears with it,” says Roberta Moraes, Executive Creative Director at Artplan.
Set to launch this April, the campaign is introduced through a film built from real headlines and a manifesto highlighting the impact of this narrative choice. The initiative also includes engagement with journalists, content creators, and experts, aiming to encourage a broader reassessment of how violence against women is portrayed and, consequently, understood in society.