Overcoming Institutional Constraints: The Role of Women’s Networks, Resources, and the Judiciary in Advancing Descriptive Representation in Brazil

This article analyzes networks of critical actors advancing women’s representation in Brazil, positing that when executives or legislatures weaken inclusionary policies, courts can help safeguard them. In a context of persistent underrepresentation, coordinated efforts across parliament, parties, civil society, and the judiciary have created alternative pathways to expand women’s political opportunities. Focusing on access to campaign finance, we examine recent court decisions that reshaped the electoral landscape. Drawing on feminist institutionalism and collective action literatures, as well as evidence from Brazil, we show how strategic leadership, cross-sectoral coordination, and judicial allies enable actors to leverage opportunities and incrementally advance descriptive representation.