Communicational profiles of the women candidates running for São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro mayorships

An analysis of 2020 electoral campaigns

Abstract

This article aims to identify the communication profiles of women candidates for mayor in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's two largest electoral districts, during the 2020 municipal elections, through their radio and television programs in the Free Electoral Propaganda Schedule (HGPE). In São Paulo, three women ran in the election: Joice Hasselmann (PSL), Marina Helou (REDE), and Vera (PSTU). However, according to electoral legislation, only Joice Hasselmann had radio and TV time. In the case of Rio de Janeiro, six women launched their candidacies for mayor: Benedita da Silva (PT), Clarissa Garotinho (PROS), Police Officer Martha Rocha (PDT), Glória Heloiza (PSC), Renata Souza (PSOL), and Suêd Haidar (PMB), with the latter being the only one who did not have programs aired in the HGPE. That year, in both capitals, no female candidacy advanced to the second round, a situation similar to that registered in other municipalities in the country. Among the theoretical foundations used in this research, the studies on gender, women in politics, and public image stand out, based on authors such as Bourdieu (2012), Biroli (2018), Panke (2011, 2016, 2020, 2021), Weber (2004), and Lipovetsky (2007). The empirical phase consisted of exploratory research of the programs aired in the HGPE, a space guaranteed by Brazilian electoral legislation for political parties to promote their candidates and platforms. The objective of this phase was to understand how the candidates presented themselves to the electorate, using the typologies proposed by Panke (2016) for the analysis of female electoral campaigns. According to the author, the three predominant female archetypes in electoral disputes — Warrior, Maternal, and Professional — are distinguished by specific attributes, which can be identified in the videos and classified based on the principles of Content Analysis.