Brazil launches campaign against sexual harassment of women

The Brazilian government has launched a campaign against sex tourism. With the motto “Tourism respects women,” the initiative comes after an episode in which US tourists went to a São Paulo party organized by dating coaches hired to help them meet Brazilian women. The case has been brought under scrutiny by the Brazilian police.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, the campaign should release videos about ways to combat sex tourism in Brazil, and should engage government agencies as well as companies in the tourism sector.

In its first video, released on social media, Tourism Minister Daniela Carneiro Minister of Women Cida Gonçalves warn that sexual harassment are crimes and must be reported.

“I’d like to clarify that sexual exploitation is not tourism; it’s a crime. We need to take a stand and report situations like these to the authorities,” said Minister Daniela Carneiro.

The case

On March 20, the chair of Brazil’s Tourist Board (Embratur), Marcelo Freixo, requested the Federal Police to investigate the US group Millionaire Social Club, suspected of sexually exploiting Brazilian women.

The club offers dating courses for men and usually visits cities in Latin American and Southeast Asian countries so that men can test their so-called techniques. Late in February, the coaches threw a party in São Paulo and invited Brazilian women to be guinea pigs without their knowledge. Some of the women who were at the party saw photos on the group’s social networks and filed a police report.

The police of São Paulo started an investigation targeting the two US nationals believed to be the group leaders, who should be called to testify.

In social networks, they claim there was consent from all participants of the party and that giving tips on how to use dating apps is not a crime.