Breaking Barriers: Black Women’s Struggle and Progress in Brazilian Politics
Pioneering black politician Theodosina Ribeiro’s legacy highlights ongoing challenges and reforms addressing black women’s underrepresentation in Brazilian politics.
- • Theodosina Rosário Ribeiro was the first black female councilor and state deputy in Brazil, pioneering racial and gender representation.
- • In the 2022 elections, black candidates were over 50% of registrants but only 32.12% were elected, with black women significantly underrepresented.
- • Flávia Viana emphasized barriers to women’s political participation including insufficient funding and political violence during the Congresso Catarinense de Direito Eleitoral.
- • Dialogues on electoral reform and gender quotas are underway to promote equality and increase women and minority political representation.
Key details
The legacy of Theodosina Rosário Ribeiro as the first black female councilor in São Paulo and the first black woman state deputy in Brazil stands as a testament to the ongoing challenge of racial and gender representation in Brazilian politics. Despite making up more than half of Brazil’s population as mixed-race and black individuals, their political representation remains disproportionately low. Ribeiro, elected in 1968 and 1970 with strong advocacy for education and women's rights, inspired the creation of the Medalha Theodosina Rosário Ribeiro to honor efforts against racial discrimination and for women’s rights (Source ID 148203).
In the 2022 elections, over 50% of candidates identified as black, yet only 32.12% achieved election victories nationwide. In São Paulo, black candidates composed 32.9% of the running candidates but only 15.5% secured office, with black women only accounting for 4.5% of female candidatures, highlighting severe underrepresentation (Source ID 148203).
Addressing these challenges, Flávia Viana, the ombudswoman of the Supreme Federal Court, opened the Congresso Catarinense de Direito Eleitoral with a focus on women and minority inclusion in politics. She underscored women’s population majority at 52%, contrasting sharply with their mere 17.7% representation in the federal chamber. Viana emphasized barriers such as insufficient party funding for women, the burden of dual responsibilities, and gender-based political violence. She advocated for stronger political education and reforms, including political financing and gender quotas, to rectify these systemic disparities (Source ID 148205).
The two narratives—historical and contemporary—reveal both the strides taken and persistent obstacles for black women in Brazilian politics. Ribeiro’s legacy is a beacon for ongoing efforts to achieve equity, as modern reforms and educational initiatives continue to address the gaps in representation and power distribution for black and female politicians in Brazil.
As Brazil observes the Dia Nacional de Zumbi e da Consciência Negra, commemorating resistance against racial oppression, these reflections underscore the necessity for sustained action to ensure political bodies accurately represent the nation's diverse demographic.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.