Civil Society Urges TSE for Immediate Action Against Gender and Racial Political Violence Ahead of 2026 Elections
Civil society groups demand urgent measures from Brazil's Electoral Superior Court to counter rising gender and racial political violence before the 2026 elections.
- • Civil society organizations presented a collective note to the TSE demanding action against gender and racial political violence.
- • 87% of political violence victims from 2021 to 2025 were Black women, according to the Marielle Franco Institute.
- • 714 incidents of political violence occurred from November 2022 to October 2024, with 274 targeting women and transgender individuals.
- • Groups call for improved reporting channels, victim protection, and consistent judicial measures by the TSE.
Key details
On September 22, multiple Brazilian civil society organizations delivered a collective note to Dr. Renata Gil, coordinator for Women at the Electoral Superior Court (TSE), urgently calling for decisive measures to address the escalating violence targeting women and racial minorities in the upcoming 2026 elections. The document highlights disturbing trends including death threats, sexual violence, racist and LGBTphobic attacks, physical assaults, and the exposure of personal data of female candidates and parliamentarians.
Signatories such as the Marielle Franco Institute, Justiça Global, Terra de Direitos, and the Mulheres Negras Decidem movement condemned the prevalence of violence, urging the TSE to take protective measures for victims and hold perpetrators accountable. Research by the Marielle Franco Institute underscores the crisis, revealing that 87% of political violence victims between 2021 and 2025 were Black women. Additionally, between November 2022 and October 2024, 714 incidents of political violence were reported, with 274 cases specifically affecting cisgender women, transgender people, and travestis.
The organizations’ note calls for enhanced communication channels to report violence, thorough digital evidence preservation, and judicial guidance with a focus on gender and racial perspectives. They advocate for regular collaboration between the TSE and civil society to strengthen democracy and ensure that women and racial minorities can participate in public life free from threats and discrimination. Notably, the groups acknowledged recent TSE rulings that set precedents in prosecuting offenders, urging for consistent application of such standards in future cases.
As Brazil approaches the October 2026 elections, which will decide key positions including the Presidency, governorships, and legislative seats, these civil society demands signal growing pressure on institutions to counteract political violence and protect vulnerable candidates, particularly Black women and LGBT individuals. The note actively highlights the urgency of preventative and punitive action by the Electoral Superior Court to safeguard democratic participation.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
