Brazil Intensifies Fight Against Gender-Based Political Violence to Strengthen Democracy

A recent seminar in Brasília highlighted the urgent challenge of combating gender-based political violence in Brazil, describing it as a "wound in democracy" impeding women's political participation. Vice-Procurador-Geral Eleitoral Alexandre Espinosa emphasized the Ministério Público (MP) Eleitoral's enhanced efforts to address this issue, which is critical for boosting women's involvement in politics and countering gender-based disinformation and hate speech.

Since establishing a dedicated working group in 2021, the MP Eleitoral has documented over 300 cases of political violence targeting women, leading to nearly 50 criminal complaints and multiple convictions. Espinosa noted that violence against female candidates and officeholders is now recognized legally as a crime intended to obstruct their political roles. This aligns with broader calls from officials, including National Corregedor Ângelo Fabiano Costa, who underlined stark gender disparities: while women constitute 53% of Brazil's electorate, they make up only 34% of candidates and a mere 17% of elected officials. Costa remarked that without quotas, female representation would be even lower.

The seminar, organized by the Corregedoria Nacional do Ministério Público and the Procuradoria-Geral Eleitoral, brought together government representatives and civil society experts. Discussions centered on a forthcoming recommendation from the National Council of the Public Ministry (CNMP) to provide a framework guiding MP actions against political gender violence. Panels addressed the impact of such violence on social media, practical case studies, and highlighted the need for specialized structures to empower women, particularly women of color, within political spheres including the military where female participation is anticipated to grow.

Federal deputy Iza Arruda and TSE minister Estela Aranha stressed that gender inequality remains a major democratic flaw in Brazil, hindering women’s full citizenship and political rights. The event underscored the necessity of unified efforts across all branches of the Ministério Público to combat this pervasive issue and to foster a political environment that supports and protects women's election and service in public office.