Women’s political participation and the protection of personality rights in light of the principle of human dignity

Abstract

This study investigates women's political participation in Brazil from the perspective of the protection of personality rights and the principle of human dignity. The choice of this research topic is justified by its contemporary relevance, given both the normative advances achieved in promoting gender equality and the persistent barriers to the effective inclusion of women in positions of political power. The existing literature reveals a gap in the integration of personality rights theory with analyses of women's underrepresentation, particularly within the fields of political science and constitutional law. Accordingly, the study aims to examine how the expansion of women's political representation can be understood as a mechanism for promoting and safeguarding human dignity. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative approach and a deductive method, based on bibliographic and documentary research. The analysis encompasses specialized literature, legislation, reports issued by national and international organizations, recent statistical data, and relevant judicial decisions rendered by Brazil's higher courts. In addition, a literature review was conducted using databases such as EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, SSRN, SciELO, and the CAPES Portal. Preliminary findings indicate that, although women constitute more than half of the Brazilian electorate, their representation in elected office remains well below gender parity. This scenario may be interpreted as an indirect violation of personality rights and highlights the need for effective public policies aimed at ensuring respect for human dignity and promoting the full inclusion of women in the political sphere.