News A 72-year-old icon of women’s rights in Brazil carried the Olympic Torch in the northeastern city of Fortaleza on Tuesday (7 June) Maria da Penha Maia Fernandes, who gave her name to Brazil's ground-breaking ‘Maria da Penha Law’ on domestic violence, said the country still needs to do more to protect women who suffer abuse at the hands of their partners “The situation leaves a lot to be desired,” she said shortly before using the torch to light a commemorative Olympic cauldron in Fortaleza Maria da Penha gave an inspiring speech to the crowds in Fortaleza (Photo: Rio2016/Fernando Soutello) Maria da Penha has used a wheelchair since 1983, when her then husband shot her while she slept He also tried to electrocute her in the shower Although she filed a case of attempted murder and saw her former husband receive long sentences at a series of trials, the abuser served just two years in prison, almost 20 years after the crime In August 2006, following a long campaign which had Maria da Penha at its head, the Brazilian government passed the Maria da Penha law The legislation tripled the minimum sentence for those guilty of domestic abuse and increased protection for vulnerable women Almost 10 years later, Maria da Penha says she has lost count of the number of women who have told her “I was saved by your law ” Nevertheless, she says there have not been major changes for the better in the situation of abused women in small towns in Brazil, despite the passing of the law More resources are needed to protect vulnerable women in these areas, she says “The overall assessment of the last 10 years is not negative, but women in small and medium-sized towns who have heard of the law still do not have anywhere to go It’s very frustrating ” Maria de Penha Victim blaming Now one of Brazil’s best known leaders of the struggle for women’s rights, Maria da Penha says until recently many men and women assumed that she must have done something wrong to provoke her husband into violence “I am sure many women still hear the same thing  Even if I had betrayed my husband, which I didn’t, I would not have deserved to die What would happen if women killed the men who cheated on them? Why do only men kill?” she asks Fellow campaigner Juliana de Faria transferred the Olympic flame to Maria da Penha (Photo: Rio 2016/Fernando Soutello) Passing the Olympic flame to Maria da Penha on Tuesday was a representative of a new generation of campaigners for gender equality and women's rights Juliana de Faria, the 31-year-old founder of feminist NGO Think Olga, said that carrying the torch in Fortaleza would send a powerful message to the thousands of women who suffer domestic violence in Brazil and to the society that is failing them “I started Think Olga because we need to talk more about why the victims of domestic violence, harassment and rape are blamed,” she says “When women gain the courage to tell their stories we can discuss this subject in the open ” Maria da Penha and Juliana de Faria share a hug before participating in the RIo 2016 Olympic Torch Relay (Photo: Rio 2016/Fernando Soutello) The participation of Maria da Penha and Juliana de Faria formed part of a special day of the Rio 2016 Olympic Torch Relay dedicated to female empowerment Icon of black pride and female empowerment carries Rio 2016 Olympic Torch *Leonardo Rui contributed to this article