Dilma Rousseff elected as Brazil's first female president

On October 31, 2010, Dilma Rousseff was elected as the first woman to hold the presidency of Brazil, breaking a 121-year institutional barrier that had existed since the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889.

An economist and former Chief of Staff, Rousseff secured the position after winning the second round of the presidential election with approximately 56% of the valid votes, defeating candidate José Serra. Her victory was closely linked to the high popularity of then-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who supported her candidacy.

Political analysts noted that her ascent to the Palácio do Planalto represented a significant milestone for female representation in Latin American public institutions and the maturity of the Brazilian republican system. Her personal history, including facing imprisonment and torture during the military regime, added further historical weight to her election as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.