Brazilian Senate Launches 'Guia da Candidata' to Empower Women Ahead of 2026 Elections
The Brazilian Senate has launched a detailed guide and support services aimed at empowering women candidates and combating political violence ahead of the 2026 elections, while local initiatives in Gravatá reinforce these efforts.
- • The Senate launched the 'Guia da Candidata' to support women’s political participation with legal and strategic guidance.
- • The guide addresses gender-based political violence and provides tools for candidates to protect their rights.
- • ZAP Delas, a legal support service for victims of political violence, was also introduced by the Senate.
- • A workshop in Gravatá discussed challenges faced by women in politics and efforts to combat gender violence.
Key details
In a significant step to promote women’s political participation ahead of Brazil’s 2026 elections, the Senate’s Procuradoria Especial da Mulher (Promul) launched the 'Guia da Candidata' on March 14, 2026. This comprehensive manual offers legal and strategic guidance to women candidates, addressing barriers related to gender, race, and class while equipping them with tools to combat political violence.
Senator Augusta Brito (PT-CE) highlighted the pervasive impact of gender-based political violence, emphasizing that it undermines women’s intellectual legitimacy and often silences their voices. She pointed out that while physical violence tends to be more visible, silent forms of harassment inflict deep harm, disproportionately affecting Black and LGBTQIA+ women.
The guide educates candidates on their legal rights, including guaranteed access to a minimum of 30% of party and electoral funds and proportional media time during campaigns. It also provides practical instructions on building campaign teams, crafting campaign messages, and managing social media effectively. Key features include strategies to identify and document political violence, formalize complaints, and use technology to combat misinformation. The guide also tackles the problem of "candidaturas laranjas" or fake candidacies that hinder genuine female representation.
Alongside the guide, the Senate introduced ZAP Delas, a legal support service assisting victims of gender and racial political violence. Established in 2013, Promul continues its mission to foster gender equality and prevent discrimination in politics.
Complementing this national initiative, the municipality of Gravatá held a workshop titled "Women in Politics: Challenges, Rights, and Confronting Violence" on March 13. Facilitated by Manoela Alves, a lawyer and diversity consultant, the session brought together civil and public sector representatives to discuss political violence against women and ways to enhance their political representation. Ester Gomes, Gravatá’s Secretary for Women, emphasized the importance of municipal efforts involving collaboration with entities like the local Bar Association (OAB) to combat gender-based violence in this election year.
These coordinated efforts at federal and local levels underscore Brazil’s growing commitment to supporting women candidates by addressing political violence and promoting equitable participation in politics as the 2026 elections approach.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
