Platforms serve as spaces for the reproduction of gender and racial political violence.

By: FGV ECMI

The intersectionality in political gender and racial violence, particularly focusing on attempts to discredit and politically silence lawmakers, especially black, transgender, and indigenous women, and the dispute over gender and race agendas in the National Congress, has been at the core of a series of recent episodes that reiterate the intersection between gender, race, and class oppressions in Brazilian political discourse. Analyses that prioritize an intersectional perspective guided the social media monitoring between June and August within the Media and Democracy project.

In this regard, the document presented here was compiled from weekly selected materials to support proposed action lines and to compose guiding materials for the Media and Democracy project's Council.

The first section, 'Analysis Lines: The Bi-Monthly Overview,' contextualizes instances of political gender violence through attempts of political disqualification and silencing, particularly targeting women, especially those who are black, transgender, and indigenous, and the struggle over gender and race issues in the National Congress.

As an illustrative example, summarized versions of the complete analyses available in the weekly reports, accessible for reference, are also presented.

These highlights substantiate the second section of the document. In 'Action Lines: Thematic Directions,' possibilities for work and deeper insights are indicated to develop strategies for society. In the third part, labeled 'Retrospective,' a review of the project's activities is presented, emphasizing the key work done between April and June.

 

1. Analysis Lines: The Bi-monthly Overview

The third bi-monthly period of activities within the Media and Democracy project covered the production of 9 weekly reports and 10 fact-checks, following a diverse thematic agenda. The primary thematic focus, as stipulated by the project's Council, revolved around gender and racial violence. Consequently, there were productions emphasizing the violence faced by women active in the political scene, such as discussions regarding the first ladies of the current and previous governments, public debates about transgender individuals on social media, and intersectional analyses highlighting the intersection of gender, race, and class violence within the National Congress, particularly affecting transgender, black, and indigenous parliamentarians.

Initially, we selected analyses that mapped mentions of prominent women in the national political scenario, like the ministers of the Lula government, the current and former first ladies. Despite offensive comparisons between former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro and the current first lady Janja da Silva, both were targets of political gender-based violence due to their roles in the government or political agendas in general. In this context, elements such as clothing, expressions of religiosity, and physical attributes were utilized by different political factions in an attempt to discredit both Michelle and Janja politically. The discussion aims to highlight the systematic offensive dynamics directed at the first ladies, generally characterized by sexism, because of the prominent political positions they hold.

Additionally, we devoted a second section to observing how debates on gender and racial violence have been significant points of contention between government and opposition lawmakers. While government parliamentarians show greater control over the gender agenda, especially through the promotion of actions against violence towards women and comparisons between the Lula and Bolsonaro governments, the opposition has been notable in the racial agenda, utilizing various strategies, including arguments with strong racial denialism.

As a subsection of this discussion, we provided analyses concerning the case of left-wing deputies prosecuted for breaching parliamentary decorum before the Ethics Committee of the Chamber of Deputies. It was suggested that in relation to the repercussions of this episode on YouTube, there were more messages of support for them than criticisms or attacks, despite a significant volume of hate speeches containing sexist, misogynistic, and racist content directed at these congresswomen. This episode expanded the discussion on sexism, racism, and political silencing in parliamentary activities, as the deputies were punished due to expressions against the voting of the temporal landmark in indigenous territories, a case that has also been critically mobilized regarding Law No. 14.192/2021, about political violence against women.

Finally, we highlighted the transphobic violence observed in conservative Facebook groups. The report on the public debate about transgender issues and rights pointed to a significant manifestation of prejudice against this population between 2019 and 2023, including the proposal of several transphobic bills.

As emphasized in previous documents and underscored in the Council's meetings, the thematic axes worked on by the project during this bi-monthly period and the results found in the highlighted reports also align with ongoing working agendas in national and international institutions. Of particular note in the Brazilian scenario is the presence of these themes in the Recommendations Report for combating discourse and extremism in Brazil, released in July 2023 within the Working Group of the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship. Additionally, there is the recent establishment, within the Council of Sustainable Economic Development (CDESS), the "Council," aimed at countering disinformation and hate speech. The intersections of the debate about disinformation and the circulation of journalistic content on digital platforms are also currently in discussion during the progress of the Copyright Bill (2.370/2019), which incorporated the debate from a segment of the Fake News Bill (2.630/2020). The project has also monitored this topic.

1.1 Debate on women with relevance in the Brazilian political scene

Map of interactions of the debate on women with prominence in the political scene in X

Period: from January 13th to February 13th, 2023

 

Source: X | Prepared by: FGV ECMI                                                                                                                                                                                         

Group aligned with former president Jair Bolsonaro (Blue) - 45.3% profiles | 48.8% interactions

Group with political actors and news profiles aligned with former President Bolsonaro. The central theme is the defense of the social legacy attributed to the former first lady. There's an idea circulating that the PT (Workers' Party) would have discontinued Michelle's social actions. Criticisms of the current first lady, Janja, have also been highlighted. There's a tendency to question Janja's "refinement" and to characterize her relationship with the current president as a "jailhouse" relationship. Criticisms of Ministers Marina Silva, Margareth Menezes, and Luciana Santos also gained significant traction. The overall tone adopted suggests that the current ministers lack credibility to engage in politics.

Group aligned with the Federal Government (Red) - 34.5% profiles | 40.6% interactions

Set of profiles aligned with the Federal Government, generally revolving around the profiles of Lula and the first lady, Janja. The group focused on the former minister of the Bolsonaro government and current senator, Damares Alves, to whom acts of human rights violation related to the humanitarian crisis involving the Yanomamis are attributed. The predominant narrative is that Damares would have had a central responsibility for the development of the crisis, which was classified as a systematic project of the previous government.. 

Progressive Entertainment Profiles (Orange) - 9% profiles | 5.5% interactions

With adherence to the red cluster, the orange set orbits around progressive entertainment profiles such as @Choquei, @PopTime, and @tracklist. In a lighthearted tone, these profiles promote unusual polls that tend to put the Federal Government at the forefront, with a special focus on the first lady @JanjaLula. In one of the most far-reaching polls, users are asked whom they would hypothetically vote for as President - among Janja, @MichelleBolso22, @Gleisi, and @SimoneTebetBR. Comments mainly endorsed Janja and Tebet's candidacies, while questioning the absence of @MarinaSilva from the list. 

Main terms about Michelle Bolsonaro and Janja da Silva on X

Period: from January 13th to February 13th, 2023

 

Source: X | Prepared by: FGV ECMI

• In this discussion, gender becomes more prominent, especially in the evaluation of the actions of both individuals and elements such as clothing and religious expressions adopted by them. For instance, in the reposting of a makeup tutorial video by Michelle, it's suggested that Janja wouldn't know how to dress or apply makeup. In the same context, Janja is labeled as the "first pomba gira of Brazil," attempting to negatively associate her with Afro-Brazilian religions;
• Attributes related to their bodies are also considered within the gender focus on Janja and Michelle within profiles aligned with Bolsonaro. For instance, it was stated that it would be "in bad taste" to exchange Michelle, who is "beautiful, polite, and elegant," for Janja;
• Regarding Janja, there's a thematic focus on intersectionality, especially concerning class aspects. There's a frequent suggestion that she wouldn't know how to behave as the first lady and would be dazzled by the privileges attributed to the position;
• In a less significant manner, Michelle is also subjected to misogynistic comments. In response to a complaint that she allegedly underwent a silicone replacement surgery using public resources, isolated users opposing Bolsonaro endorsed a tweet stating they would have the right to "grab" the breasts of the former first lady.

1.2 Debate on gender and racial violence

Evolution of the parliamentary debate on gender and racial violence on Facebook

Period: from January 1st to July 24th

 

              Gender Violence

 

 

                Racial violence

 

 

Source: Facebook | Prepared by: FGV ECMI

 

• March recorded peaks in the parliamentary discussion on gender-based violence. With the government and the Center taking the lead, the dominant notion was that the Lula government had resumed policies to combat gender-based violence. In total, 120 posts were registered. There were significant claims that the opposition, especially the PL party, was perpetrating political gender-based violence against female parliamentarians..
• Parliamentary discussions on racial violence peaked in March and May. A total of 835 posts by parliamentarians on racial issues were recorded, marking a 595% increase compared to the gender-related debate. Comparisons between the Lula and Bolsonaro governments were frequent: government-aligned parliamentarians emphasized Lula's representation of progressive agendas, while depicting the former president as racist, homophobic, and misogynistic. In the opposition, there was a notion that the Lula government had betrayed progressive sectors by allegedly not prioritizing the appointment of women, Black individuals, and LGBTQ+ members to important government positions. The argument that racism is an invention of left-wing sectors circulated in several posts on the profile of Deputy Hélio Lopes (PL). These posts, with a negationist tone, claim that racism is a narrative aimed at promoting social chaos..

1.2.1 The case of the deputies represented on the Chamber’s Ethics Council

Main topics found among comments related to female deputies

 

Source: YouTube | Prepared by: Democracy Reporting International (DRI)

• Comments in support of the congresswomen have a similar tone, affirming that they should have "strength", that they are "warriors", they mustn’t give up fighting, and they won't be silenced. They also emphasize the importance of their participation in the Chamber of Deputies. Although many posts refer to the representatives collectively, there's a noticeable prevalence of those specifically directed at Sâmia Bomfim.
• Apart from Bomfim, only the names of Fernanda Melchionna, Célia Xakriabá, and Érika Kokay are individually mentioned in supportive comments, while Talíria Petrone and Juliana Cardoso appear in collective messages.
• Besides showing support, users also positioned themselves against what they identify as misogyny and sexism, generally associated broadly with the Bolsonaro supporters and more specifically with the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira.
• Concerning the messages with hate speech identified (683), these were divided into four subtopics: i) attacks on the appearance of the congresswomen (8.3% of the total); ii) attacks using gender stereotypes (33.5%); iii) attacks with ideological-party tone (35.7%); and iv) accusations of victimhood (22.4%);
• The comments using gender stereotypes are the most frequent. These refer to the idea that women should not be involved in political life and that when they express themselves assertively, they are deemed "troublesome". There were also comments associating the representatives with madness and hysteria. Some comments mention that the congresswomen should be at home taking care of their husbands or doing the dishes, for instance.
• The ideological-party attacks encompass messages that degrade left-wing profiles. The comments attribute "incompetence" and "mediocrity" to left-wing congresswomen and express that they deserve the legal action against them for these reasons.
• Some messages discuss the appearance of these congresswomen, using degrading adjectives about their bodies and faces as a strategy of delegitimization. Appearance-related comments targeted both all congresswomen, calling them "ugly women", "ogres", and "monsters", as well as specifically aimed at Sâmia Bomfim, Fernanda Melchionna, and Talíria Petrone.
• Comments directed at Melchionna and Petrone appeared marginally, with the former being referred to as "Fernanda Fiona", and the latter highlighted as someone who causes "disgust". It's noteworthy that although Petrone was not explicitly mentioned in supportive comments, she was negatively highlighted in a post identifying the congresswomen as "disgusting" and "the scum of the earth", indicating racism.
• Lastly, it's noteworthy that Congresswoman Célia Xakriabá was individually attacked with racist comments questioning her ethnic-racial identity — stating, for instance, that she would be a "fake Indian" or "disguised as an Indian". Moreover, in one of the comments referring to all the congresswomen as "garbage", Xakriabá is identified as a "trans Indian", with the user claiming to be "more Indian than her", suggesting a transphobic connotation as well..

1.3 Debate on transphobic violence

Evolution of most discussed topics

Period: from January 1, 2019 to April 30, 2023

Source: Facebook | Prepared by: Democracy Reporting International (DRI)

• Quantitatively, the themes with the highest number of associated posts are "Trans Visibility and Its Repercussions" (914), "Gender Ideology" (645), and "Anti-Trans Political Mobilization" (611). While the first one fluctuated irregularly, the latter two peaked in 2019 and gradually lost momentum, suggesting that the beginning of the Bolsonaro government influenced a surge in hostile expressions toward transgender individuals;
• While the posts gathered under the theme "Gender Ideology" refer to various uses of the term to criticize the advancement of policies supporting the LGBTQIA+ population, those within the "Anti-Trans Political Mobilization" group specifically allude to the actions of far-right representatives in Brazil against the same population.;
• In that sense, the main topics related to these themes in January 2019 include Bolsonaro's inaugural address, in which he explicitly indicated the goal of "combating gender ideology"; posts portraying him as "honest" and someone who wouldn't threaten minorities; and the statement made by former minister Damares Alves reinforcing gender roles, stating that "boys wear blue" and "girls wear pink".;
• It is argued, for example, that Bolsonaro and his allies will combat corruption, "cleanse" Brazil of "bandits disguised as politicians" — often in reference to political figures associated with the left-wing political spectrum — and put an end to "gender ideology";
• In the "trans visibility and its repercussions," there's a highlight driven by a segment on Fantástico featuring Dr. Dráuzio Varella presenting the situation of trans women and travestis in Brazilian prisons. The comments regarding the episode were largely negative, with mentions of the crime for which Suzy had been convicted. Furthermore, there was misinformation about the case in a post claiming that TV presenter Fátima Bernardes would renovate Suzy's cell in prison.

 

2. Action Lines: Thematic Directions

The findings in the weekly reports highlight that gender and race-based violence, particularly in the realm of political violence, is utilized as a tool for contention between different political factions. It's been observed that in the face of ideological disagreements, misogyny, racism, and transphobia are often employed to discredit opponents based on their identities, consequently undermining their arguments and agendas.

In this context, there's a noticeable prominence of right-leaning actors utilizing this strategy to discredit not only female ministers and lawmakers but also the claims of marginalized groups. However, the prevalence of right-wing actions doesn't absolve responsibility from progressive groups who, in moments of political polarization, have adopted similar strategies.

Given these observations, establishing action plans that can be productive in the medium and long term could provide a fruitful space for combating and preventing this form of violence. The bi-monthly conclusions have been integrated into action plans and potential areas for further discussion within the Mídia e Democracia project, which could be adapted by relevant stakeholders..

2.1 Public Policies

2.1.1: To integrate racial and gender literacy, including their online variations, as a permanent agenda item for policymakers' work. The cases presented reaffirm and highlight that understanding the various implicit or explicit manifestations of these violences is fundamental for constructing public policies capable of addressing the different guises assumed by misogyny and racism.

2.1.2: Following the effective implementation of Law No. 14.192/2021 and in alignment with international recommendations, political gender and racial violence should be understood by policymakers as an obstacle to democratic quality, as it undermines the ideals of a genuinely representative democracy.

2.2 Digital Platforms

2.2.1 The circulation of toxic and harmful discourses should not be justified by falsely equating combating online speech violence with stifling freedom of expression. The analyzed cases demonstrate that such stigmatizing discourses permeate digital environments and are detrimental to political participation and the quality of democracy itself. They should be countered through multi-sectoral actions aligned with the preservation of fundamental rights. 

2.2.2 The effectiveness, transparency, and continuous monitoring of online violence should be considered requirements in defining policies alongside platforms to promote safe spaces for users and preserve human rights. The findings demonstrate that the activity of specific actors in the digital ecosystem, such as hyper-partisan media, signals the existence of complex strategies for disseminating hate speech and misinformation.

2.2.3 It is necessary for digital communication platforms to ensure access to the data they collect and store. In line with initiatives in other countries, the availability of this data for research development, as presented in this report, has the potential to ensure understanding of the public discourse on critical topics, consequently enabling productive discussions on its content.

2.3 Production of scientific evidence

2.3.1 Scientific evidence should substantiate debates and regulations related to gender and race-based violence in the country, identifying possible patterns concerning perpetrators, targets, and prevailing discursive strategies, with special attention to political violence.

2.4 Parties, mandates, and candidacies

2.4.1 Women involved in politics can contribute to improving the specific debate on gender and race-based political violence, both by sharing their experiences as potential targets of such violence and by legislating on the subject.

2.4.2 Political parties and organizations can provide legal, emotional, and political support for women facing gender and race-based political violence in their parliamentary or political activities.

2.4.3 Political parties and legislative caucuses can work towards promoting a violence-free environment for marginalized groups and guide activities aimed at combating this type of violence in political spaces.

 

1. That happened because six government-aligned parliamentarians were sued and reported to the House of Representatives' Ethics Committee for statements made during the Indigenous Temporal Marker committee. The deputies reported an alleged far-right coordination aiming to revoke their mandates and silence progressive agendas, such as combating gender violence, racism, LGBTQ+ discrimination, and illegal deforestation.

2. Formulated here based on the definition by Recuero, Soares, and Gruzd (2020). Available at: https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/ICWSM/article/view/7324/7178. Accessed on: 24/08/2023.