: Unlike "Assédio Sexual," which requires a hierarchical or professional relationship, "Importunação Sexual" applies to any environment, including public buses and trains. Assembleia Legislativa do Estado de Pernambuco Situation in 2021

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Activists and victims used digital platforms to share videos, tag municipal transit authorities, and expose perpetrators caught engaging in encoxadas on crowded buses.

Here are some frequently asked questions about the Encoxada Bus 2021:

: Many women reported daily occurrences in crowded transport, describing a sense of helplessness and psychological distress. Barriers to Justice

Severe municipal overcrowding where passengers are packed tightly due to rush-hour constraints.

The year 2021 represented a turning point in the public and legislative debate on the issue. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent social distancing measures did not extinguish the discussion; on the contrary, they underscored the chronic nature of the problem.

The term "encoxada" is widely used in Portuguese-speaking countries to describe a situation where a person, typically a man, takes advantage of overcrowded conditions to rub his body against a woman without her permission. In Brazil, the country with the most extensive and often overcrowded public transport system in Latin America, this act is a daily reality for millions of female commuters.

As cities slowly emerged from lockdowns and capacity restrictions eased, the return to mass transit brought with it a strange, tense rebirth of the encoxada . But 2021 added new layers: masked faces, silent anxieties, and a hyper-awareness of proximity. What was once an accepted — if uncomfortable — part of commuting became a loaded act. Was it just the physics of rush hour? Or something more invasive?

Ask the driver or conductor to stop at a police unit or operational post.

If you or someone you know has experienced harassment on public transport, contact local transit police or a sexual assault hotline. In Brazil, call Ligue 180 (Women’s Helpline). In the US, RAINN: 800-656-HOPE.

A deeply disturbing aspect of this phenomenon, which was particularly active in 2021, is the existence of online communities dedicated to the practice. These groups, found on social media platforms and public internet forums, are spaces where "encoxadores" (as they call themselves) share detailed accounts of their actions, post photographs or videos of their victims, and even organize "rolezinhos" (group outings) specifically to practice "encoxada" on public transport.

: In 2021, images and videos of a bus modified in such a unique way started circulating on social media platforms. The trend quickly went viral, sparking a wide range of reactions from amusement and admiration for creativity to confusion and criticism.