Women’s suffrage in Brazil a victory over historical misogyny
Sexist statements have echoed through time. “ My wife will not vote ,” said Senator Coelho e Campos, a member of Brazil’s Constituent Assembly in 1891. That same year, another lawmaker, Serzedelo Corrêa, asserted that throwing women into the midst of political passions and struggles means “stripping them of their sanctity.” Over 135 years later, this violent rhetoric resurfaced. “Statistically,…
Despite the passage of 135 years, misogynistic rhetoric from Brazil's Constituent Assembly in 1891 regarding women's suffrage has resurfaced. Senator Coelho e Campos and Serzedelo Corrêa expressed their opposition, with Corrêa suggesting that votes from women would "strip them of their sanctity." Today, influencer Paulo Figueiredo (grandson of former Brazilian President João Figueiredo) claimed women "vote poorly, especially single women."
This sexist sentiment, scholars argue, is rooted in the persistent patriarchal and misogynistic logic that underpins Brazilian society.
Law professor Fernanda Abreu of the State University of Rio Grande do Norte asserts that women's suffrage in Brazil was fought against the government's resistance and a sexist society, rather than being granted spontaneously. She emphasizes that rights necessitate continuous struggle. Moreover, the same legal provisions that grant universal suffrage also prohibit any form of discrimination, including sex-based discrimination. Article 14 of the Brazilian Constitution explicitly states this.
Furthermore, these statements questioning women's suffrage could potentially be considered criminal speech under Article 5 of the Constitution. Efforts are being made to involve Brazil's Prosecutor-General's Office in addressing this issue.
Brazilian researcher Cibele Tenório from the University of Brasília explains that the recurrence of these attacks over more than a century is absurd yet not surprising given the structural nature of sexism. She highlights the outstanding intelligence demonstrated by suffragists in securing women's right to vote. Notably, Almerinda Gama, one of the first black women to be active in Brazilian politics, fought tirelessly for this right.
Despite women making up the majority of the Brazilian population (51.5%) and having higher educational attainment, they continue to face oppression and discouragement from participating in the labor market or politics. Brazil's Superior Electoral Court notes that there will be over 83 million eligible female voters in 2026, compared to nearly 75 million eligible male voters. This begs the question of whether attacking the female vote constitutes a strategy of political intimidation.
Written by urgent.news from Agencia Brasil's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
