BRAZIL: Women Gain More Ground in the Presidential Palace
By appointing women this month to two key ministries, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has nearly met her goal of having 30 percent of women in her cabinet, and is putting women in predominant roles at the Planalto Palace, the seat of government.
Rose Marie Muraro, a writer and pioneer of Brazil's feminist movement in the 1970s who, like Rousseff herself, inspired many of the women in politics today, is enthusiastic.
'The hard core of power is in the hands of women, and that is very important,' Muraro, declared by law a 'National Patron of Feminism' by former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2010), told IPS. Muraro is also a role model for women like Gleisi Hoffmann, who was appointed chief of staff on Jun. 7.
A lawyer and former senator, Hoffmann is nicknamed 'the tractor' in political circles in the capital because of her hard work and ability to get things done. She replaced Antonio Palocci, who was forced to resign over questions about the sudden 20-fold expansion of his personal fortune. Although there is no proof of illicit enrichment, Palocci's position as Rousseff's right-hand man became politically untenable for the governing Workers' Party (PT) and allied political forces.
The president, who on Jul. 1 will complete her first six months at the head of a moderate leftwing government, surprised politicians again Jun. 10 by transferring Ideli Salvatti, one of the most combative PT leaders, from the Fisheries Ministry to the key Institutional Relations Ministry where she will serve as Rousseff's chief liaison with Congress.
Brazil's first woman president now has 10 women in her cabinet of 38 ministers, so she needs two more to meet her self-imposed target of 30 percent. Furthermore, among the so-called 'Palace ministers' who are in daily contact with events at Planalto and are regarded as the president's inner circle, women are already in the majority, as there are three women compared to two men in these posts. The third woman is the presidency's Communications Minister, Helena Chagas.
This is a good thing for democracy because 'women are less corrupt,' Muraro said about the appointments of Hoffmann and Salvatti. The president is relying on the outspoken Salvatti to maintain harmony in the heterogeneous political alliance that has a majority in Congress.
The changes have led the Brazilian media to dub Planalto the 'Women's Palace' or 'Palace of the Amazons,' while coalition senators like Roberto Requião greeted the new development with the words: 'Long live Dilma's matriarchy!'
A poll this month found that 49 percent of respondents gave Rousseff a high ('good' to 'excellent') approval rating, seven percent higher than Lula's rating five months into his presidency, while only 10 percent said she was doing a bad job. Lula is Rousseff's mentor, and she was his chief of staff for five years.
'A woman might be aggressive and harsh, but she thinks about others' needs before her own interests,' said Muraro, referring to the president and her two new ministers' shared reputation for being tough, as well as good managers. 'Men, on the other hand, think about their own interests first, and afterwards about other people's,' she said.
© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service