Brazil 2026 elections see lack of women in competitive tickets

The 2026 Brazilian elections are projected to be the first of the century without women appearing on competitive presidential tickets. While women constitute a majority of the electorate—representing 52.84% of the 158,745,463 eligible voters—their presence in major leadership roles remains disproportionately low.

In the race for the Palácio do Planalto, only seven women are among the potential candidates for president or vice president. Notably, the most competitive parties (PT, PL, PSD, Novo, and Missão) have not included women on their major slates. This marks a significant departure from previous election cycles, such as 2014 and 2022, which featured prominent female candidates and vice-presidential contenders.

This lack of representation persists across other major offices. For governorships, only three out of ten candidates for governor and vice-governor are women. The trend of low female participation is also observed in Senate races, where female candidates remain a minority in several regions.