Profile of the
Female Mayors in
Brazil (2017-2020)

Research reveals the profile of women who run Brazilian cities

The survey interviewed 45% of 649 women mayors elected in 2016 and showed that female mayors already have experience in politics, have more years of study than male mayors, and overcome huge challenges in small municipalities with little resources.

The Alziras Institute's aim is to develop tools to contribute to increase women's participation in politics. In order to accomplish this, we believe that it is fundamental to understand the experiences of women in municipal politics, as it is the stepping stone to build a significant political careers.

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How many
and where?

Few woman are elected and run the smallest and poorest municipalities in Brazil

Women are

51%

of the population, but
only run

12%

of Brazilian cities

Black women are

27%

of the population, but
only run

3%

of Brazilian cities

Woman Mayors have
within their jurisdiction only

7%

of the Brazilian population

of the total of
Woman Mayors in office

91%

of them were elected in
municipalities with up to

50,000 inhabitants

Average GDP per capta
of these municipalities:

R$ 17,800

run by female mayors

R$ 19,700

run by male mayors

What is the Profile of the
Woman Mayors in Brazil?

The Trajectory of
Brazilian Female Mayors

Political leadership, experience in public management and more years of study than men.

50%

of male mayors have
completed higher education

71%

of female mayors have
completed higher education

42%

of female mayors have a
post-graduate qualification

70%

of female mayors occupied non-elective public offices or appointed positions in the following areas:

60% of woman mayors had previously been elected to other positions

32%

Mayor

30%

City Councillor

13%

Vice-Mayor

2%

Deputies

88% of woman mayors have had political experience before being elected, having participated in:

41%

municipal councils for public policy

41%

religious entities or solidarity groups

33%

social assistance entities

29%

civil society organizations

46%

of Woman Mayors elected in 2016
were running for office for the first time

45%

are black and of mixed race

46%

are from the Northeast of Brazil

66%

have already occupied appointed positions or non-elective offices

Woman Mayors by region and by existing elected relatives

% of the total of woman mayors by region

Role models

Most cited names by woman mayors

What are the main
obstacles?

Obstacles attributable to the fact of being a woman in their political career

53%

of Brazilian woman mayors claim to have suffered harassment or violence in politics for being women

48%

lack of campaign funds

30%

harassment and symbolic violence in the political arena

24%

lack of media coverage, in comparison to male counterparts

23%

lack of recognition for their work or their words

22%

lack of party and/or coalition support

22%

double burden

8%

lack of family support

Wish to compete for other elections in the future

56%

yes

32%

do not know

12%

no

What are their
priorities?

Public Policies and Priorities in the Mandates
of the Female Mayors in Brazil

69%

of female mayors claimed to have action or policies specifically designed for women

women encourage the participation of more women in politics

55%

of Female Mayors have a secretariat comprising over

40 % women

Download the full report

Access the full publication to know more about campaign fundraising, the sexual division of labor, gender-based violence, campaign commitments, and ways to increase women's participation in politics.

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