Desconstruindo a violência política contra a mulher: marcas das desigualdades de gênero

Abstract

The obstacles to women’s participation in spaces of power and political decisionmaking and the limitations imposed on them by the sexist and misogynistic system. This can be understood as yet another form of violence against women, in addition to being a violation of their fundamental rights. Political violence against women is any action or omission that aims to prevent or hinder a woman from exercising her political rights, that is, from freely promoting campaigns, holding public office, voting in secret, being able to participate in meetings and associations, and exercising freedom of opinion and expression. The general objective of this research is to verify the impacts of political violence against women in the various areas of the lives of female councilors in the city of Curitiba (Paraná). The methodology used was qualitative research, and as a data collection instrument, semi-structured interviews were used with five women who hold or have held an elective office in the legislative branch of the city of Curitiba between 2017 and 2023. The data collected in the interviews were analyzed through content analysis. The research reveals that political violence against women impacts their physical and mental health. This makes them question their ability to hold elected office and often leads them to resign. A disproportionate demand has been found, in which female parliamentarians are held to more responsibility than male councilmen regarding the development of their work. The sexual division of labor contributes to the exhaustion of female councilmen. They accumulate domestic/care work and professional work hours, perceiving a disadvantage compared to men in the same elected office. Political violence goes beyond the bodies of female councilmen, impacting their private relationships. It undermines their right to exercise the office for which they were democratically elected. This affects all their voters and those who would benefit from public policies developed by women. The legislation that deals with political violence against women and the Women’s Attorney’s Office of the Curitiba City Council are seen as a good tool for combating this type of violence. However, it is necessary to debate with the population the implementation of improvements in the text of the Law to make both the Law and the Women’s Attorney’s Office effective.