Collective mandates and gender dimension

impacts on performing political representation in Brazil

Abstract

This article examines the phenomenon of collective mandates in Brazil as an institutional innovation in the field of political representation to understand how this emerging model reconfigures traditional practices of representation. Widely discussed in the literature as a partial response to persistent patterns of political exclusion, collective mandates are here analyzed through the lens of women's underrepresentation. The aim is to reflect on the institutional innovations proposed by this model and assess their potential to expand access to legislative power. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative approach, based on semi-structured interviews with representatives engaged in collective mandates across different regions of Brazil. The main findings suggest that, although still limited in scope, collective mandates present significant potential as a tool for facilitating the access of women – particularly Black and transgender women – to elective office. By challenging traditional norms of political representation and creating new forms of linkage between representatives and represented, these experiences point to promising, albeit incomplete, pathways toward more inclusive legislative institutions.