TCU Discusses Gender, Inclusion, and Diversity at OLACEFS Event

On June 17, the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) participated in the Lecture Series on Gender, Inclusion, and Diversity organized by the Latin American and Caribbean Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (OLACEFS). The event gathered external government auditors specializing in human rights, anti-harassment, and equity. Representatives from the TCU shared data on the prevalence of harassment in Brazil and explained how the institution conducts effective oversight on the issue.

Paulo Malheiros, Director of the TCU’s Audit Department for Education, Culture, Sports and Human Rights (AudEducação), which is part of the Department of Government Audit for Sustainable Development (SecexDesenvolvimento), presented data showing that Brazilian women are the primary victims of sexual and moral harassment in the workplace.

Malheiros emphasized the importance of TCU Decision No. 456/2022, which outlines a model for developing anti-harassment systems in public administration based on four pillars: institutionalization, prevention, detection, and correction. The decision also provides guidance for identifying anti-harassment measures across public entities.

“According to a study conducted by a Brazilian university, only 10% of harassment cases are formally reported in Brazil. This underreporting poses significant risks,” he warned.

Malheiros also highlighted that the Superior Labor Court (TST) recorded a 44.8% increase in lawsuits related to harassment between 2021 and 2023. During this period, over 360,000 new harassment-related cases were filed, particularly as employees returned to in-person work.

Harassment in Universities

Brazil’s federal universities are among the institutions most affected by harassment. Between March 2022 and March 2024, the Brazilian Office of the Comptroller General (CGU) registered 641 disciplinary proceedings for harassment-related offenses in federal universities. Complaints were recorded in 57 out of the 69 institutions during that two-year period.

Between 2023 and 2024, the TCU evaluated the anti-harassment policies and practices implemented in all 69 federal universities. The assessment focused on institutionalization processes, implementation of preventive strategies, and procedures for investigating and sanctioning reported cases.

60% of federal universities lack policies to prevent and address harassment

The audit revealed that 41 of the 69 universities (about 60%) lack institutionalized policies or sectoral plans to prevent and address harassment. Among the 28 universities that had implemented such policies, 19 were found to have significant gaps in terms of well-defined programs, designated personnel, planned activities or measurable outcomes.   

Good Practices

Four universities stood out for their implementation of evidence-based actions. At the Federal University of Piauí (UFPI) and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), surveys and diagnostics assessments were conducted with the university community prior to the implementation of official anti-harassment policies.  

Meanwhile, the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and the Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP) used data from reported cases to develop preventive measures. Other good practices included the dissemination of informational materials, creation of dedicated departments to handle harassment cases, and increased academic research on the subject.

TCU auditors Renata Silveira Carvalho, Head of AudEducação, and Wanessa Carvalho, Director of the Department for the Audit of Equity and Human Rights Policies, also took part in the event.