Sex and the city: reflections on women’s parliamentary representation and the 2008 municipal elections

Abstract

Scholars have only recently started paying attention to the involvement and contribution of women in the social-political arena. In several institutions, the so-called “gender studies” are not exactly welcomed and it is not rare to fi nd that specialists in the fi eld are secretly marginalized. Examining the variety of existing social theories, we can clearly see that the female role lacks in space in political analysis and this situation is not easily addressed. This article intends to contribute to the efforts to increase the body of studies regarding women’s institutional presence in politics and their participation as candidates in local municipal elections. The article is also aimed at analyzing the input of women in the local legislative branch and their improvement/effi ciency in the Town Hall (Câmara dos Vereadores) elections in the last three polls. The comparative perspective is the method of choice, and the focus rests on the 2008 elections, however the 2004 and 2000 polls will also be studied. The variables used are electoral systems, social, economical and cultural factors, as well as other political aspects.