Gender Quotas Database
Brazil
South America
Single / Lower House
Cámara dos Deputados / Chamber of Deputies
| Total seats | 513 |
| Total women | 90 |
| Percentage of women | 18% |
| Election year | 2022 |
| Electoral system | List PR |
| Quota type | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Constitution |
The creation, fusion, merger and extinction of political parties is free, with due regard for national sovereignty, the democratic regime, the plurality of political parties, the fundamental rights of the individual, and observing the following precepts: … Paragraph 8. The amount of the Special Fund for Campaign Financing and the portion of the party fund destined for electoral campaigns, as well as the free advertising time on radio and television to be distributed by the parties to the respective female candidates must be at least 30%, proportional to the number of female candidates, and the distribution must be carried out according to criteria defined by the respective governing bodies and by the statutory rules, considering party autonomy and party interest. (Article 17). |
| Electoral law |
Each party may register candidates for the Chamber of Deputies, the Legislative Chamber, the Legislative Assemblies, and the Municipal Chambers totaling up to 100% (one hundred percent) of the number of seats to be filled plus 1 (one). Paragraph 3. From the number of vacancies resulting from the rules provided in this article, each party or coalition will fill a minimum of 30% (thirty percent) and a maximum of 70% (seventy percent) for candidacies of each gender. (Article 10 - Elections Law) Only candidates registered by parties may compete in elections. . Law No. 9,504/1997, art. 10, caput, I and II: number of candidates that each party or coalition can register; § 3: percentage of vacancies reserved for candidates of each sex. . Ac.-TSE, dated 9/8/2010, in REspe nº 64228: irrelevance of the appearance of a fraction, even if greater than 0.5% (half a percent), in relation to any of the genders, if the political party fails to exhaust the possibilities for nominating candidates. (Article 87 - Electoral Code)
|
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| Political funding legislation |
Resources from the Party Fund will be applied: … Ac.-TSE, dated 3/30/2023, in PC nº 060121526: “Transfers of resources from the Party Fund of the national directory of the group to the respective lower bodies – even if these are intended to cover electoral expenses – are not included in the base of calculation to determine the minimum amount that the national body is obliged to allocate for its specific gender quota”. (Article 44 - Political Party Law) |
|
| Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | Yes | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
| Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? | Yes, funds earmarked for gender activities | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Upper House
Senado Federal / Federal Senate
| Total seats | 81 |
| Total women | 14 |
| Percentage of women | 17% |
| Election year | 2022 |
| Electoral system | FPTP |
| Quota type | No legislated |
| Election details | IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| No data available | ||
Quota at the Sub-National Level
| Quota type | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Electoral law |
Each party may register candidates for the Chamber of Deputies, the Legislative Chamber, the Legislative Assemblies, and the Municipal Chambers totaling up to 100% (one hundred percent) of the number of seats to be filled plus 1 (one). Paragraph 3. From the number of vacancies resulting from the rules provided in this article, each party or coalition will fill a minimum of 30% (thirty percent) and a maximum of 70% (seventy percent) for candidacies of each gender. (Article 10) |
Voluntary Political Party Quotas*
| Party | Official Name | Details, Quota provisions |
|---|---|---|
| Workers' Party | Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) |
Party directors, delegations and positions with specific function of secretariats shall having gender parity (50% women and 50% men). (Article 22 (IV)) |
* Only political parties represented in parliament are included. When a country has legislated quotas in place, only political parties that have voluntary quotas that exceed the percentage/number of the national quota legislation are presented in this table.
Additional information
In 1995, Brazil adopted a 20% minimum quota for female candidates in local elections and, in 1997, a new electoral law established that each party or coalition must include a minimum of 30% and a maximum of 70% of each gender for elections at any level, held through a proportional representation system. In addition, a 2009 amendment to the electoral law requires that political parties use at least 10% of their free broadcast time and 5% of their public campaign funds to promote the participation of women in politics.
A minimum of 5% of party funds shall be used to promote the political participation of women. Parties that don´t comply to this legislation must add a penalty of 12.5 percent of the amount that also has to be allocated to promote women’s participation. 10% of the total party air time should be used to promote women's participation. In the third and fourth elections following enactment, parties must allocate at least 15 percent of the total air time to promote women´s participation.
The Superior Electoral Court will also air 5 minutes of educational campaigns on radio and TV to foster women's political participation per day during the election campaign.
Sources
Legal Sources:
Other Sources:
- Parliament of Brazil - Link
- Superior Electoral Court - Link
- IPU Parline Brazil
- The Chamber of Deputies Women's secretariat - Link
- Election FAQs: Brazil General Elections / October 2, 2022 - IFES
- Brazilian 2022 General Elections: Process, Results, and Implications.
- Llanos, B (2019): “Surcando olas y contra-olas. Una mirada paritaria a los derechos políticos de las mujeres en América Latina.“.
- Atenea, International IDEA, ONU Mujeres, UNDP.Araujo, C (2015): "Más allá de los Números: Las Mujeres Transforman el Poder Legislativo en América Latina y el Caribe. Estudio del País: Brasil". UNDP in collaboration with the Spanish Government.
- Llanos, B. and Sample, K. (eds), 'From Words to Action: Best Practices for Women’s Participation in Latin American Political Parties' (Stockholm: International IDEA, 2008).
Additional reading
- See the latest updates on Brazil on iKNOW Politics
- Miguel, L. F. 2008 'Las mujeres y la política partidaria' in Sample, K. and Llanos, B. (ed) Del Dicho al Hecho International IDEA
- Schmidt, G & Araújo, C. ‘The Devil’s in the Details: Open List Voting and Gender Quotas in Brazil and Peru’, paper presented at the XXV International Congress of Latin American Studies Association, Las Vegas, October 2004.
- Araújo, C. 2003. ‘Quotas for Women in the Brazilian Legislative System’, in International IDEA, The Implementation of Quotas: Latin American Experiences, Quota Workshop Report Series no. 2, Stockholm: International IDEA, pp. 72–87.
- Araújo, C. 2002. ‘Ações afirmativas como estratégias políticas feministas’. Gênero, democracia e sociedade Brasileira, ed. Cristina Bruschini and Sandra G. Unbehaum. São Paulo: Fundação Carlos Chagas.
- Htun, M. N. & Jones, M. P. 2002. ‘Engendering the Right to Participate in Decision-Making: Electoral Quotas and Women's Leadership in Latin America.’ Craske, N. & Molyneux, M.(ed.) Gender and the Politics of Rights and Democracy in Latin America. New York: Palgrave. pp. 32-56.
- Htun, M. N. 2002. ‘Mujeres y poder político en Latinoamérica,’ in International IDEA, Mujeres en el Parlamento. Más allá de los números, Stockholm: International IDEA, pp. 19-44.
- Htun, M. N. 2002. ‘Puzzles of Women's Rights in Brazil.’ Social Research 69, no. 3. pp. 733-751.
- Peschard, J. 2002. ‘El sistema de cuotas en América Latina. Panorama general,’ in International IDEA. Mujeres en el Parlamento. Más allá de los números, Stockholm: International IDEA, pp. 173-186.
- Arajo, C. 2001a. ‘As cuotas por sexo para a competio legislative: o caso brasileiro em comparao com as experincias internacionais’, in Revista Dados, Vol 44, n. 1.
- Arajo, C. 2001b. ‘Analisnado Estratgias potencialidades e limites das polticas de cuotas do Brasil’, in Revista Estudos Feministas, Vol 9, n. 1.
- Avelar, L. 2001. Mulheres na elite política brasileira. 2nd ed. São Paulo: Fundação Konrad Adenauer.
- Jimenez Polanco, J. 2001. ‘La représentation politique des femmes en Amérique Latine: une analyse comparée’ (Women's political representation in Latin America: a comparative analysis). Bérengère Marques-Pereira and Patricio Nolasco (ed.) La représentation politique des femmes en Amérique Latine(Women's political representation in Latin America). Brussels: L'Harmattan. pp. 27-81.
- Women's Leadership Conference of the Americas. 2001. Women and Power in the Americas: A Report Card. Washington: Women's Leadership Conference of the Americas.
- Articulação das Mulheres Brasileiras. 2000. Políticas públicas para as mulheres no Brasil. 5 anos após Beijing. Brasília: AMB.
- Malheiros Miguel, S. 2000. Una política de cuotas por sexo: Um estudo das primeiras experiências no legislativo brasileiro. Brasília: CFEMEA.
- Osava, M. 2000. ‘Politics-Brazil: Indians Surpass Women in Elections.’ Interpress Service, October 9.
- Araújo, C. 1999. ‘Cidadania Incompleta – O Impacto da Lei de Cotas sobre a Representação Política das Mulheres Brasileira’, unpublished, Rio de Janeiro: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
- Araújo, C. 1998. Mulheres e representacao politica: a experiencia das cotas no Brasil (Women and political representation: the quotas experiment in Brazil). Estudios feministas 6, no. 1. pp. 71-90.
- Caldeira, Teresa P. R. 1998. ‘Justice and Individual Rights: Challenges for Women's Movements and Democratization in Brazil’. Jaquette, Jane and Wolchik, Sharon (eds.) Women and Democracy. Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Htun, M. N. 1998. Women's Political Participation, Representation and Leadership in Latin America. Issue Brief, Women's Leadership Conference of the Americas.
- Osava, M. 1998. ‘Brazil: Number of Female Candidates Increases, But Not Enough.’ Interpress Service, August 27.
- Inter-Parliamentary Union. 1997a. Men and Women in Politics: Democracy Still in the Making, A World Comparative Study. Geneva: Inter-Parliamentary Union.
- Brazil Parliament website, http://www.camara.gov.br
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