Women with long political careers in the Brazilian legislative branch (1950–2014)

Abstract This article analyzes the political trajectory of 62 women who, during 17 legislatures, exercised at least three terms, with at least one being in the position of federal representative, in order to answer the following question: what are the necessary requirements for women to have successful parliamentary careers in a country that places 151st among 187 countries reviewed in terms of women's participation in parliaments in 2017? The article is divided into two parts: the first part gives a general overview of the universe of women elected state and federal representatives between 1950 and 2014, a total of 653 deputies. The second part focuses on the 62 women who at least once reached the federal congress, the main focus of this study. The analysis of the trajectories of the 62 deputies showed that their long political careers follow the same traditional paths as their male peers, a finding that points to one of the main reasons for the scarce presence of women in Brazilian political life.