Interagency Coordination, Gender, and Policing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In response to widespread violence against women in Brazil, the government has created a unique type of institution: specialized police stations for women (Delegacias Especializadas de Atendimento à Mulher, “DEAMs”) designed to support victims. These institutions offer a lens into how political representation and state capacity shape service provision. While existing literature suggests female politicians are more responsive to women’s needs and thus create policies that directly benefit women as a group, preliminary statistical analysis shows little evidence that they significantly influence DEAM creation or coordination with other agencies. Despite national mandates, DEAM implementation and interagency collaboration remain uneven. This project investigates why such disparities exist and how bureaucratic politics influence coordination. Fieldwork in Rio—including interviews with police and bureaucrats—will explore these dynamics on the ground. By examining the gap between political representation and institutional outcomes, my project contributes to broader debates on gender, governance, and the state’s role in addressing violence. Brazil offers a compelling case for understanding how local politics and coordination challenges affect policy delivery, with implications for Latin America and beyond.