The question posed in this statement relates with the Brazil we live in. A time when there is still a significant clamor from certain segments of society that strive to maintain the status quo. It is clear that addressing inequalities in many aspects of the country will crucially depend on decisions made by leaders in positions of power.
When we face the possibility of President Lula choosing a new representative for the Supreme Federal Court, the highest judicial authority in Brazil, we wonder what we, a community-based institution with a long history of working in the 16 favelas of Maré in Rio de Janeiro, have to do with this.
As a movement that has historically questioned the forms and treatment that the state provides to favela residents, we understand and advocate for the necessary recognition of their rights, the development of public policies that acknowledge these rights and the reduction of the violence towards these populations.
In this process, the struggles for gender and racial equity and for fairer public policies have always been fundamental aspects of our work. Our commitment to seeking greater gender and racial equity in spaces of power, like the Supreme Federal Court (STF), is driven by the need to understand and address the factors that perpetuate inequality surrounding the rights of women in favelas, who are predominantly racialized as Black and Indigenous. Therefore, we feel institutionally committed to striving for greater gender and racial equity in spaces of power like the STF.
According to IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), Black women represent 28% of the Brazilian population.The data on Black representation in the judiciary, as presented in the Research on Blacks in the Judiciary, clearly highlights the absence of Black women in positions within the judiciary, which is profoundly strategic for the social justice agenda in the country. country. In the judiciary, the total representation of Black individuals is 18.1% of all positions, and of this total, less than 6% are women.
Gênero e Número, an association that produces data-driven information and analysis on urgent gender and racial issues, provided data about the 170 ministers who have served on the STF: only three were Black, and since its creation, the STF has been occupied by White men95% of the time, White women 2.4% of the time, and Black men 2.7% of the time. In over a century of existence, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) has never had a Black female minister as part of its composition. By combining both race and gender markers for occupying a position of such significance, this situation directly affects the historical debt that this country owes to a population that has been systematically oppressed over the years.
Increasing the participation of women requires measures such as gender quotas in various levels of power, promoting female political education, and combating gender-based political violence. It is essential that everyone recognizes the importance of women's contributions to politics and works to ensure that they have a voice and decision-making power at all levels of government and authority.
Diversity is an undeniable practice for the consolidation of democracy in a society that respects and understands its roots, and it is this that allows us to dream of a future with less social inequality. In this regard, we take a position not only because we believe in diversity, particularly in spaces of power and decision-making, but also because we seek effective and concrete historical reparations for social groups that have been structurally marginalized and systematically denied their rights. Effective historical reparation also involves recognizing the competencies and capabilities of Black women to occupy these spaces of power and being committed to a social justice agenda.
In this sense, we support and share the campaign "Ministra Negra Já!" (Black Female Minister Now!), launched by the "Mulheres Negras Decidem" (Black Women Decide) movement, which proposes a shortlist: Judge Adriana Cruz, from Rio de Janeiro, Prosecutor Lívia Sant'Anna Vaz from Bahia, and lawyer Soraia Mendes. from Rio Grande do Sul.
Therefore, in response to the demands of certain sectors of society for racial democracy and gender equality, Associação Redes de Desenvolvimento da Maré, joins in and calls for the selection of a Black Female Minister for the Supreme Federal Court.
This is how we position ourselves in support of the residents of the favelas in Maré and all favelas and marginalized areas in Brazil, in an anti-racist, anti-colonial, anti-sexist, and democratic stance for rights, collectively building a diverse and fair country.
Redes da Maré
Rio de Janeiro, september 18, 2023
