The 8th of March, International Women's Day, invites us to reflect on women and the world of politics. Thinking about the social role played by women in Brazilian society (more specifically from the perspective of politics) is always an interesting exercise, especially when we take into account a society like ours, built under the aegis of machismo, patriarchy, in which men have always occupied the public space and women, the private.
But what about politics, do we still have a closed space between men? No, this has been changing, and the women's political participation this is proof of this, whether as voters (since the 1930s) or as candidates for public office, but this change is taking place slowly. However, even if still timid, the increasing presence of female candidates is fundamental for the strengthening of democracy, after all, female representation is extremely necessary when we think about the struggles for women's rights in a context in which, as is well known, there is still a lot of prejudice, exclusion and violence against they. When we point out that among voters in Brazil, women are the majority (just over 51.7% of the total, according to the government federal), certainly this is an aspect explored by candidates (or female candidates) in an attempt to rally this vote feminine. More than that, it is an indication that there is a need for attention to this considerable portion of the population, even more so when it comes to a society that seeks to strengthen itself as a democracy. This, in turn, has been consolidating for some time, and a greater participation of women is in line with this.
In the 70s of the last century, women represented 35% of the electorate, surpassing the 50% mark in 2006, breaking the hegemony of the male electorate. Regarding the electoral dispute, according to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), the number of female candidates reached 31.7% of the total registrations in the last elections of 2012, which means certain advance.
But a question arises: is this increase in voting participation by women a confirmation that they are conquering their space? We can say yes, although the challenges faced by women both in politics and in society in general (and a good example is the difficulties in the labor market) are still considerable. However, even though we can say that women are conquering their space, it is necessary to consider that, due to the so-called quotas, the result of affirmative policies to increase female participation, parties are required to reserve a participation of at least 30% for each sex.
Thus, the expansion of women's participation, in terms of registration of candidacies, is not linked only to greater awareness of the importance of politics between them or the women's revolution (of feminism) unleashed in the 1960s or, even, to the expansion of the politicization of civil society in general, such growth can be associated with the obligation to comply with a law electoral. Obviously, the very institution of this law was the result of a struggle for greater female participation, which can be considered an advance. However, it is noteworthy that laws and norms by themselves have a relative power (although they are important instruments) in the fight against prejudice, whatever its nature.
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In this sense, the greater number of candidacies can be associated with greater female emancipation, which is nonetheless fact when we assess the changes and transformations the role of Brazilian women has gone through, but it is not limited to that. Even so, according to the website of the Federal Chamber of Deputies, a study by the Interparliamentary Union, linked to the United Nations (UN), placed Brazil ranked 120th in the ranking of the proportion of women in parliaments, which means it lags behind Islamic countries like Pakistan, Sudan and UAE United.
The social role of women and their position in Brazilian society are still permeated with contradictions. In quantitative terms, it is enough to analyze some data presented by the government, noting that the participation of women in the Chamber of Deputies is 9% and, in the Senate, 10% of the total. In addition, the number of state governors is also very small.
Obviously, the election of Brazil's first president somehow contributed to change this picture of atrophying female participation and perhaps motivate other women's candidacies. The meaning of this event from the point of view of an affirmation of the figure of Dilma in an absolutely masculine scenario throughout history (since power always was associated with the figure of the man) was stamped in her preference to be addressed by the president and not the president, although the norms of the cultured language admit both shapes. Talking about behavioral differences between men and women in the exercise of some positions and functions is something quite relative, as aspects such as moral issues do not necessarily manifest themselves differently depending on the sex. Thus, a good ruler is one who is committed to democracy and the collectivity, whether male or female.
Paulo Silvino Ribeiro
Brazil School Collaborator
Bachelor in Social Sciences from UNICAMP - State University of Campinas
Master in Sociology from UNESP - São Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho"
Doctoral Student in Sociology at UNICAMP - State University of Campinas
