Female representation in the Brazilian political scene: Stereotypes and prejudices
Teoria & Pesquisa: Revista de Ciência Política, São Carlos, v. 32, n. esp. 1, e023011, 2023. e-ISSN: 2236-0107
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31068/tp.v32iesp.1.1049 6
The publication highlights that aggressors can be classified into three categories: a)
Institutional, including police, public security forces, armed forces, government institutions,
representatives of the three branches of government, public servants, and electoral agents; b)
Non-State Political, encompassing candidates, leaders, and members of political parties,
paramilitary forces; and c) Social, including media outlets, religious leaders, the community,
employers, family members, and voters.
It is also important to mention the definition of political violence against women
contained in Ordinary Law No. 14,192/2021, published in the Official Gazette on 08/05/2021:
Art. 3º Political violence against women is considered any action, conduct, or
omission aimed at preventing, obstructing, or restricting women's political
rights, as well as acts that imply distinction, exclusion, or restriction in the
recognition, enjoyment, or exercise of their rights and fundamental political
freedoms based on sex (BRASIL, 2021a, our translation).
The Ordinary Law 14,192, enacted in 2021, establishes norms to prevent, repress, and
combat political violence against women. The bill was authored by federal deputy Rosângela
Gomes of the Partido Republicano do Brasil (PRB), and the law stems from the proposal she
presented in 2015. The bill was approved by the Chamber of Deputies on 12/10/2020 and by
the Senate on 07/15/2021 and was then sent for presidential sanction. Our main challenge is to
publicize, disseminate, propagate, and monitor compliance with this new law (FERREIRA;
RODRIGUES; CUNHA, 2021, p. 9).
Brasil (2021b) explains that the new law prohibits party propaganda that deprecates
women or discriminates based on color, race, or ethnicity. The aggressor will be punished with
imprisonment for one to four years, with the penalty increased by 1/3 if the aggression is
committed against a pregnant woman, a woman over 60 years old, or a woman with a disability.
The law also mandates changes in the statutes of political parties, which must include measures
to prevent, repress, and combat political violence against women. Furthermore, the Electoral
Law has been amended, establishing that in proportional elections debates (Legislative
positions), a minimum proportion of 30% of women candidates must be respected.
Law No. 14,192/2021 is undoubtedly essential in the country, with many cases of
gender-based political violence (GBPV). Another achievement that deserves to be highlighted
is the agreement signed between the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and the Electoral General
Prosecutor's Office (PGE) on August 1, 2022, establishing guidelines for the joint action of the
two institutions to address gender-based political violence and safeguard political rights
(BRASIL, 2022a). That year, the President of the TSE, Minister Edson Fachin, stated that the