Brasília - As part of commemorations of International Women's Day (Dia Internacional da Mulher), in Brasilia, representatives of women's organizations will meet with the minister of Justice, Marcio Thomaz Bastos this morning. They will discuss the problems of violence and impunity in Brazil.

This afternoon, an event will take place on the mall in front of the Congress. Demonstrators will gather to protest impunity and demand more respect for human life (a favor da vida). They will unroll a huge patchwork quilt with the names of people who have recently been assassinated in Brazil.

At the same time, a group of mothers of victims of violence will deliver a petition with 1.2 million signatures to the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Aldo Rebelo (PCdoB-SP) calling for changes in the country's Penal Code. Other representatives of the demonstrators will call on the Supreme Court to reverse a recent ruling that lessened penalties for certain violent crimes.

Translation: Allen Bennett