“Free to Dream?” Research Study

Education plays a fundamental role in preventing gender-based violence, yet in Brazil there is still a lack of data that correlates this phenomenon with the school environment. Few systematic studies reveal how violence is perceived by students, teachers, and school administrators, or how schools can—or cannot—promote fairer, safer, and more equitable relationships.

This gap is particularly concerning because most victims of sexual violence in the country are girls under the age of 13, often harmed by someone they know; every day, 26 girls under 14 become mothers in Brazil. Exposure to violence affects not only individual well-being, but also school performance and the social development of millions of children and adolescents.

It was in this context that, in 2025, Serenas launched a national research study on gender-based violence in the educational context, in partnership with Plano CDE, with support from Nova Escola, and funding from Instituto Machado Meyer and Instituto Beja.

Serenas led, together with Plano CDE, the execution of a nationwide study aimed at mapping perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes of teachers, students, school administrators, and leaders from education networks regarding gender-based violence. The research also examined how the topic appears in educational policies and documents over the years and identified the main challenges faced by those working in schools.

The study adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative phases—with interviews and focus groups—and a quantitative phase, using a national survey applied to middle and high school teachers. In 2024, the qualitative phase was completed, the first version of the document analysis was developed, and a significant sample was reached in the quantitative phase, with more than 1,300 participating teachers.

The launch event brought together more than 100 influential leaders from the education and gender fields and took place at the Museum of the Portuguese Language—an inspiring space, full of history and meaning, and a perfect setting for this immersion into the school environment. The event included a presentation of the study and its findings by Amanda Sadalla and Débora Lira, and a discussion featuring Luciana Temer, Carolina Delboni, Mário Augusto, and Graziela Santos.