Teresina Enacts Law Reserving 20% of Public Jobs for Marginalized Groups
Teresina’s new law reserves 20% of municipal public jobs for marginalized communities, with strict validation and penalties to ensure fairness.
- • Teresina's City Council approved Law No. 6.296/2025 reserving 20% of public jobs for Black, brown, Indigenous, and quilombola individuals.
- • The law applies to municipal administration jobs, autarchies, foundations, mixed-economy companies, and public enterprises.
- • Candidates must validate self-declaration for quota eligibility; fraud leads to disqualification and legal consequences.
- • Rejected self-declaration candidates can still compete in the general public selection if their scores qualify.
Key details
The City Council of Teresina has approved Law No. 6.296/2025, mandating the reservation of 20% of public job vacancies in municipal competitions for Black, brown, Indigenous, and quilombola individuals. Sanctioned by Mayor Silvio Mendes of União Brasil and published in the Official Gazette on December 23, the law covers effective positions and public functions within the direct municipal administration, as well as autarchies, foundations, mixed-economy companies, public enterprises, and simplified selection processes.
Candidates applying under this quota system must validate their self-declaration through a supplementary procedure. If a candidate's self-declaration is denied, they can still compete in the general selection if their score qualifies. Fraudulent claims will lead to disqualification from the competition or selection process. Candidates already appointed who commit fraud will face legal sanctions, and such cases will be referred to the Public Ministry and the Municipal Attorney General's Office for investigation.
This local affirmative action law reflects an effort to foster diversity and inclusion in Teresina's public sector. While broader discussions around diversity face challenges nationally due to political polarization, as highlighted by experts ahead of Brazil's 2026 elections, Teresina’s legislation marks a concrete measure to promote social equality at the municipal level.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
