In a post published on the 11th, Djamila Ribeiro proposed a critical analysis of how Western culture has historically inverted the logic of gender violence. Starting with a famous quote by British playwright William Congreve—who stated that “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”—the Brazilian philosopher deconstructed the myth of female hysteria to point out the true perpetrators of lethal violence: men.

In the widely shared post, the author confronted literary fiction with the reality of Brazilian police stations and news cycles. “It is not women in fury who fill police stations, morgues, and headlines. It is men,” wrote Djamila, highlighting that the male inability to handle rejection is the true fuse for tragedies.

Analysis through Beauvoir

To explain the psychosocial phenomenon behind femicide, Djamila turned to the thought of French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. The publication highlights how Beauvoir had already identified the “delusion” of men who view themselves as demigods before women, using aggression to reaffirm a fragile virility.

“No one is more arrogant toward women (…) than the man who is anxious about his virility,” reads the quote by Beauvoir featured in the image illustrating the reflection. Djamila complements this reasoning with an observation on male behavior when facing a loss of control: “When this imaginary pedestal cracks, he doesn’t step down. He attacks,” noted the Brazilian philosopher.

Information as Resistance

Facing a scenario where newspaper headlines daily emblazon cases of femicide committed by former partners, the president of the Instituto Feminismos Plurais pointed to the urgency of equipping women with tools.

“Repeating outdated sayings is more than ignorance: it is complicity,” she stated, calling on society to invert the logic: the real danger is the machismo that remains unpunished.

As a practical form of confrontation, Djamila reinforced the importance of the guide “Será que é amor? Enfrentamento à violência contra as mulheres” (“Is it Love? Confronting Violence Against Women”). The publication, produced by the Instituto Feminismos Plurais, serves as a guide to identifying signs of abusive relationships before they escalate to physical or lethal aggression. The work stands, in the philosopher’s words, as an “instrument of resistance” to unmask violence and protect lives.

Where to download: Link in the bio of the Instagram profile of Instituto Feminismos Plurais.

Physical version: Available at the headquarters of Instituto Feminismos Plurais, located at Avenida Chibarás, 666, in Moema, South Zone of São Paulo.