Women's representation remains low in Brazilian political campaigns

In Brazil, political campaigns are highlighting different approaches to female representation. Otaviano Pivetta (Republicanos) has dedicated his fifth electoral program entirely to women, centering his campaign on his vice-candidate, Gisela Simona (União Progressista). Pivetta has proposed a goal of reaching 50% female representation in leadership and management positions within the state administration if elected.

Despite such individual efforts, a survey of the 2026 presidential candidates reveals that women remain a minority in the strategic cores of major campaigns. Although women constitute 52.84% of the Brazilian electorate, they hold limited roles in the 'hard core' decision-making teams—covering areas like strategy, communication, and legal affairs—for the leading candidates. Among the top contenders, Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign identified the highest number of women in strategic roles, followed by Renan Santos, Ronaldo Caiado, Romeu Zema, and Augusto Cury.