Despite most of the electors being women, they are not even 10% of the total amount of congresspeople at the Chamber of Deputies

Brazilian electoral legislation, especially issues regarding quotas for women, will be analyzed by a group formed by five representatives from the Executive Power, five from the Legislative one, and five from civil society. The chief-minister of the Special Secretariat on Policies for Women, Nilcéa Freire, informed that the tripartite committee was created on Wednesday (11), by means of an ordinance.

According to the minister, the committee will review all laws on electoral quotas, with the purpose to “accelerate consensus” on that subject.

Tribute
The announcement was made during the award ceremony of the Diploma
Carlota Pereira de Queirós, on Wednesday afternoon, at the Chamber. During that event, the Women’s Secretary of Pernambuco, Cristina Buarque; the vice-president of the Volunteer Service on Social Assistance of Minas Gerais, Vitória Motta Leste; the president of the NGO Sociedade Viva Cazuza, Lucinha Araújo; the former deputy Maria Elvira; and the social server Gilse Maria Werstin Cosenza, a political amnestied who actuated in social organizations, were awarded at the event.

UN’s goal
According to a recommendation of the World Conference on Women in Peking, in 1995, UN’s guidelines establish the goal for female representation in at least 30% in legislatives.

In 1996, Congress amended Electoral Legislation and obliged the parties to inscribe at least 30% of candidates at the slate for parliamentary elections. “But that did not work, since women still have no autonomy at the parties’ structure”, says Deputy Luiza Erundina (PSB-SP), former mayor of São Paulo.

Since 2002, when Erundina proposed the Bill 6216/02, which designates 30% of the resources of the parties’ funds and of television time – of which the parties have the right – to women, she has been unsuccessfully trying to approve that measure in the national conventions of her party.

In a country in which women amount to more than half of the population (50.7%) and represent the majority of the electorate (51.7%), the female representation at the Chamber does not reach 10% of the total: there are only 45 female deputies from the 513 congresspeople composing the House.

No advances
Despite the struggle by the female caucus to improve that situation, their amount is still lower than the one of last term, when there were 55 female deputies, and the percentage of their representation surpassed the barrier of the 10%.

With those numbers, Brazil is at the 146th place in the ranking on women legislators, made in 192 countries of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (a body linked to the United Nations). In South America, Brazil is simply in the before-the-last position.

Inside the parties
From the largest parties, only PT established internal quotas for women in direction positions. The situation, though, did not improve, explains Deputy Emília Fernandes (PT-RS), who has already directed the Secretariat on Policies for Women at the beginning of Lula’s government. She affirms that, despite that measure guaranteeing more room for decisions, there is no encouragement to female participation or specific resources therefore.

“There is no use in establishing a secretariat on women, as in many parties, if it has no political strength, if it lacks the designation of resources for the mobilization and for trips throughout the state and Brazil” affirms Fernandes.

In one of the first parties having created a female sector, PMDB, there are also complaints. For Deputy Rose de Freitas (ES), at least the skills of women are no longer discussed. “They have already shown that they are able to occupy several positions, but are frequently impeached by parties’ disputes. They speak a lot on equality, but when it comes to choosing the candidate to the government or to Senate, in my state, the party does not consider women’s names”, she criticizes.

Civil Society
The coordinator of the female caucus at the Chamber of Deputies, Deputy Sandra Rosado (PSB-RN), stressed that the creation of the tripartite group, announced by Minister Nilcéa Freire, is an important initiative, since it does not only include representatives from the government, but also from civil society. The National Council on Women’s Rights will recommend five participants to the group. “We need to realize that women’s place is also in politics”, stressed the congresswoman.

According to Nilcéa Freire, the group does not want to obtain legislative prerogatives, but to base their works in bills which are already being processed in Congress. She stressed that the analysis of legislation will be made easier, since the representatives recommended by the Chamber and by the Senate will participate.

Female attorney’s office
The first vice-president of the Chamber, though, Deputy Marco Maia (PT-RS), informed that the Governing Board signed on Wednesday (11), the resolution bill which creates the Female Attorney’s Office. The bill needs also to be approved at the House Floor.

That body, which will be directed by a deputy recommended by the President of the Chamber, will actuate in defense of women’s rights in issues interesting the female caucus. In addition to the attorney’s office, there will be three deputy-attorneys.

Report - Cristiane Bernardes/ Marcello Larcher
Editing - João Pitella Junior/Rejane Xavier
Translation - Positive Idiomas Ltda