Women in Brazil have consistently been underrepresented in politics. What are the reasons for this lack of women’s political power in this vast democracy? How do formal and informal institutions hinder fair representation of women? How could the political system be changed to reflect the true interest and character of Brazilian society?

With Larissa Peixoto Gomes I discuss Brazilian democratic institutions from a feminist perspective. Based on her research and personal experiences, she shares with us the difficulties that women in politics face and how institutions and conditions make it hard for them to win political office. We review the Brazilian open-list proportional representation electoral system and the federal structure. Larissa has a pointed opinion about how institutions should be changed to make the political system work for all citizens and all government levels. And she explains why money has such a significant influence on political power.

Larissa Peixoto Gomes is a researcher at the Wales Governance Centre of Cardiff University. She received her PhD in Political Science from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In her PhD thesis she compared the substantive representation of women in Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Sweden. Her research is focused on political institutions, political representation, elections, gender, and ethnic minorities. She regularly contributes to the public discussion of democratic institutions and women in politics. So for anyone interested in the latest developments in Brazilian politics, she is definitely a great resource, and I link to her website and Twitter in the show notes.

Show notes with a full transcript and links to all material discussed: https://rulesofthegame.blog/women-facing-brazilian-institutions/

Schedule: 00:00 Introduction / 03:24 Personal questions / 06:43 Main discussion / 45:22 Recommendations by Larissa Peixoto Gomes.

Find more of Larissa’s work and research on her website: https://www.larissapeixoto.com/

Follow Larissa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/larissapolitics

Please send feedback to stephan.kyburz@gmail.com. If you find my discussions interesting and you’d like to support my work, consider buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/rulesofthegame

Many thanks to Ana Margarida Santos who edited the episode.

Please enjoy this wide ranging conversation with Larissa Peixoto Gomes.

Music credits: To Be A Ball Of Light by Late Night Feeler and Fantasy Classical Themes by TheoTe.