The situation of women in BRIC countries: a comparative analysis of the (in) effectiveness of public policies for the protection of women and reduction of gender inequality in the four largest emerging economies in the world

Abstract

The research consists of a comparative study of the concrete experiences of Russia, China, India and Brazil on the implementation of policies for the protection of women and reduction of gender inequality. From a constitutional perspective of analysis, it seeks to overcome the purely nomological or doctrinal comparison, typical of the classical view of Comparative Law, in favor of an experiences and realities comparison. To achieve this goal, it uses a complex set of data gathered from relevant reports on the subject in the international context, as well as, realizing a explorative study of the existing literature on the subject in each of the countries. As main results, it was verified that the four countries suffer from serious problems regarding the effectiveness of gender equality and the guarantee of women’s dignity, freedom, and respect. However, each country faces specific challenges in dealing with the issue.