Women take 14% of Brazil lower house seats

The Senate, in turn, saw the election of seven females

Published on 09/10/2018 - 17:47 By Luiza Damé - Brasília

Of the 513 members of the lower house elected or re-elected, 72 are women, which represents 14 percent of the Chamber Deputies, as the Brazilian lower house of Congress is called. Despite being low, the number of higher than it was in 2014, when 51 women joined the federal Legislative branch.

The highest number of elected women comes from São Paulo—11. The most voted-for was political scientist Tábata Amaral, of the PDT and a member of Acredito (“I believe”), a supra-party movement. She was elected with 264,450 votes.

Proportionately, however, the Federal District heads the list. Of the eight seats in the lower house, five are taken by female deputies. The three leading deputies are women: Flávia Arruda (PR), Erika Kokay (PT), and Bia Kicis (PRP). The only to have been re-elected was Kokay. The Federal District also saw the election of Paula Belmonte (PPS), and Celina Leão (PP).

In the senate, of the 54 seats included in this year’s race, seven will be occupied by women—12.9 percent of the total: Leila do Vôlei, Eliziane Gama, Juíza Selma Arruda, Soraya Thronicke, Dr. Zenaide Maia, Mara Gabrili, and Daniella Ribeiro.

On the list with the youngest officials joining the lower house is one woman, 22-year-old law student Luiza Canziani, from Paraná state, daughter of fellow Federal Deputy Alex Canziani, who lost the race for the Senate.

Luiza Erundina, from São Paulo, was re-elected and will serve her sixth mandate. She is the oldest in the new Parliament.

Translation: Fabrício Ferreira -  Edition: Fernando Fraga / Augusto Queiroz

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