Women in Power

In the Chamber, 77 women were elected federal deputies. In 2014, there were 51. In the Senate, seven women will enter and an alternate vacancy will be filled – the house will have 12 senators in a total of 81 seats.

In the Legislative Assemblies, we will have 161 state deputies, versus 119 in the 2014 election. The only woman elected to the state government, Fátima Bezerra (PT) was promoted to the post in Rio Grande do Norte with 57.6% of the votes. She works in the area of ​​human rights, the environment and defending the rights of workers and women. “There is a very strong symbolism in this expression of the popular vote. The result also shows the deficit of female participation in political history”, says Fátima.

In Roraima, for the first time an indigenous woman will serve as a federal deputy. The merit is Joenia Wapichanawho was also the first indigenous woman to graduate in law in Brazil and the first indigenous lawyer to speak on the plenary of the Federal Supreme Court.

Erica Malunguinho became the first trans woman to be elected state deputy for São Paulo. Born in Pernambuco, she is an activist for the rights of blacks and LGBTQ people. She created Aparelha Luzia, a cultural space considered an urban quilombo, in the center of São Paulo. “I want to continue the historic struggles of black women and this political articulation that has been moving society, because that is what will preserve the survival of many minorities”, says Erica.

“The female bench, despite still being small, had an important increase”, analyzes Rachel Menenguello, professor at the Department of Political Science at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). There were legal incentives for participation growth with the regulation of campaign finance. In order to comply with a determination that has existed since 1997, parties are obliged to launch at least 30% of female candidates for the Legislative. In May, the TSE decided that 30% of the public financing fund should be allocated to them.

Read more: Female presence increases in the Chamber and in the Assemblies

A report in ‘Folha de S.Paulo’ showed, ten days before the polls, that most Brazilian parties had to resort to majority candidates whose vices or alternates were women to reach that minimum percentage. “If these organizations do not change internally, legitimately stimulating their entry and performance, politics will continue to be a predominantly male universe”, he adds.

It is still not possible to know to what extent the feminist agenda will have to take care of the maintenance of the conquered rights or will be able to evolve towards their improvement. “The new Congress will still take some time to dominate the legislative dynamics because a good part of those elected are complete beginners”, warns Rachel.

However, it is important to emphasize that having more women occupying this space does not mean that female agendas will be voted on, much less defended more vehemently. “In this direction, I believe that within civil society there is already a mobilization of feminist movements and organizations that will monitor and demand these issues.”

What to expect

Gênero e Número is a data-driven independent media organization. This year, he kept his focus on the Legislature. Coverage began in March and soon pinpointed the women likely to be re-elected. In the same month, there was the murder of Marielle Franco, councilor of Rio de Janeiro. “Women who were at the front throughout Brazil made speeches showing the importance of occupying spaces of power”, recalls Giulliana Bianconi, founder of the organization.

Afterwards, a strong movement to vote for women emerged, many networks were formed and the issue came to the surface. “Just the fact that we have a 51% increase in the number of women elected in the Chamber points to progress. Inside, it represents only 15%, but we reached that in just four years. To beat the previous 10%, it took much longer,” she points out.

Read more: Project foresees fund to finance policies for women

Still, the picture is fuzzy. “There is a reinforced bench of the Social Liberal Party, the same as the president. The debate will be difficult. We’re going to have to work hard to make sure the women’s ward is able to work. It helps if the women establish a good dialogue between them, regardless of party”, indicates Giulliana. Experts believe that all efforts during the first year of government will be directed towards not losing the rights already won. It is recommended not to be scared by the news – there will be many, and all of them will generate controversy. Women will need to know, clearly, the fundamental guidelines.

“Politics is a subject far from the majority of the Brazilian population. People do not know the difference between the three powers or the limits of action of a mayor or councilor. Bringing this clipping to a gender perspective, the message is quite obvious: ‘It’s not a woman’s place’. Because it is a place of power”, says anthropology master Carol Delgado, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). The challenge remains to make this field more plural, with more voices. “We have many groups within politics to dissect, break up, reimagine. This whole process needs to be within reach of the common people, of the majority”, she says. Approaching politics on a daily basis, beyond electoral disputes, will be mandatory. As well as staying informed and making room for conversation in many areas, in the group of friends, in collectives, with the office staff and with the family.

The communicators Sabrina Fernandes and Debora Baldin have channels on YouTube and have published dozens of videos offering information, context and analysis during the electoral period. Most of the contents went viral, reaching different audiences and raising discussion. “Men talk a lot about politics. When I say I have a YouTube channel, they ask: ‘Is it makeup?’. We have the responsibility to break standards”, evaluates Sabrina, in front of the Tese Onze channel. “You have to be attentive, informed and on the move. There is no more space to accommodate”, completes Debora.

Read more: Brazil is the lantern in terms of female representation in the continent’s politics

What is at stake

During the electoral process, there was no lack of fights and arguments. The polarization led to the idea that there is an enemy with whom it is impossible to establish a dialogue. At one extreme, there were even those who believed that the other side needed to be eliminated. It is a dangerous path and a risk for democracy, a system that needs opposition to function. “Furthermore, retrograde ideas regarding women’s rights and the recognition of differences stood out in the debate. We went back to discussing guidelines from the mid-20th century, such as equal pay for men and women”, examines Rachel.

For the anthropologist Carol Delgado, the advance in our basic rights conquests has provoked a very fierce reaction that involves two lines of thought. The first sees more clearly the structures broken with some advances, especially when it comes to minorities. For this group, the fear comes from the insecurity of never having been in a construction position. The second line asks what is happening because of fear of change: “If we got here this way, why change?”. These people need to be welcomed and sensitized by a more accessible discourse. And this midfield work must be done by privileged sectors. “Those who already have a conquered position will have to create the courage to jump into the heart of the discussions”, explains Carol.

the tireless

Born on the outskirts of São Paulo, Tabata Amaral (PDT) was elected the sixth most voted federal deputy in the state with 264,450 votes. At age 25, the prodigy girl graduated from Harvard University, in the United States, and decided to return to the country to change the course of education. “I was elected differently. We ran a multi-hands campaign, with 5,000 people involved and over 400 donors. In a country where talking about education does not win votes, I feel the happiness and responsibility that this represents.”

Daughter of a day laborer and a bus conductor, Tabata collected more than 30 medals in mathematics, physics, robotics, among others, competitions in her teens. She caught the attention of a private institution, which offered her a scholarship to attend high school and enter a university. Accepted at Harvard, she almost didn’t go, as shortly before she lost her father to drugs. In the United States, she majored in astrophysics and political science. Back in Brazil, she founded the non-governmental organization Mapa Educação. The desire to run for office came from frustration with politics. “I don’t have experience or money and I’m young, but why not me? I recommend it to everyone who feels challenged to occupy spaces. Ask yourself that question. It could be you, yes.”

Read more: Gender inequality in politics remains alarming

Tabata predicts that one of his biggest challenges in the Chamber will be to go beyond polarization, trying to talk to the right and left. She intends to be part of the education committee and wants to deal, mainly, with three themes: the teacher’s career, the reform of secondary education and the financing of the Fund for the Maintenance and Development of Basic Education and the Valorization of Education Professionals (Fundeb) . Target of attacks, harassment and fake news during the campaign, the young woman closely observes the growth of hate speech and the questioning of basic rights of women, blacks and the LGBTQ community.

“The vocabulary directed at women during the campaign was not the same as that directed at men. The first step was to understand that none of this had anything to do with me, with my ideas, with what I’m wearing, but with my gender, ”she says. And she warns: “Hate speech leads to increased crime. I will not take offenses against women on the networks or in the streets lightly. Violence is a crime and has consequences.” The São Paulo native has another responsibility on her hands: being an example for other young girls. Seeing more women in politics makes it a possibility, it seems more accessible.

The issue of representativeness is also highlighted for Kátia Cunha, Carol Vergolino, Jô Cavalcanti, Joelma Carla and Robeyoncé Lima. With the codename Juntas (Psol), they were elected to a collective mandate of state deputies in Pernambuco with 39,175 votes. Collective mandates are new in Brazil. The law only provides for a name and a photo on the ballot box. Therefore, it is an informal modality. At the same time, there is nothing to stop it. The idea is to share power, rather than having just one representative. The decision-making process goes through many different views.

Read more: 4 historical women of Brazilian politics that you need to know

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