BY LUCY CAULKETT
Brazil’s sexist new cabinet is the new government created by former vice president , Michel Temer, The all male cabinet set up by Dilma Rousseff’s former Vice President, is the first cabinet with no women in Brazil since 1979.
It has rightly been criticized by Ms Rousseff, who said it did not represent the country. Whatever her own failings, it cannot justify why there is not even one single woman in the cabinet. This is a cabinet supposedly with the country’s best interests, and aiming to change things for the Brazilian people. The comment by the new government’s chief of staff that they could not find any women defies belief, because there are many female politicians who are competent enough to make up the cabinet team, but the men want to dominate the show. What is the excuse of the new cabinet having no women at all?
Eliseu Padilha said in a statement: “We tried to seek women but for reasons that we don’t need to bring up here, we discussed it and it was not possible.” This is just an excuse, the inclusion of women should have been obligatory to guarantee a diverse mix of members. Transparency is clearly lacking here, what rubbish it is to say ”for reasons we don’t want to bring up here”. When allegations of sexual discrimination arise, there can be reason to conceal an elaborate explanation to the world’s media. The absence of enough quality women in many administrations is sexist and contributes to the weakness of many governments. The very exclusion of women in the cabinet is intolerably sexist, and a telling sign that the men want to control all the power at governmental level.
Rouseff made many references during the impeachment process to her view that she was being sexually discriminated against because she is a woman. It is premature to support or oppose the allegations against her, but sexual discrimination should not be overlooked as a realistic influence in the overall impeachment process. Brazil’s sexist new Cabinet may be all the confirmation we need that she was unfairly discriminated against, even if to a partial extent only.
“Black people and women are fundamental if you truly want to construct an inclusive country,” Ms Rousseff told journalists on Friday at the presidential palace. after being forced out of power. She said her opponents had “turned her life inside out” trying to find grounds to impeach her, and denounced the proceedings as a ”farce” and ”sabotage”. Rouseff may have been no saint, though her denouncement of the proceedings as a farce should not be dismissed, considering the conspicuous absence of a woman in the new cabinet. The whole thing resembles a typical show of male shauvinizm, without meaning to direct a collective attack on men
Brazil’s sexist new cabinet already questions the degree to which this new government can or will deliver a mandate for the people. Rising inflation, Unemployment, unaffordable housing, growing despair, have been the lot of the people of Brazil for too long. The absence of a women in the Cabinet should send alarm bells ringing about the sort of government emerging as a replacement of one apparently led by a corrupt woman.
Vice President , Mr. Temer, said “It is essential to rebuild the credibility of the country at home and abroad to attract new investments and get the economy growing again,” but a cabinet without women is the opposite of credibility. With the 2016 Olympics games round the corner, Temer said Brazil was still a poor nation and that he would protect and expand social programmes. Rouseff now has 20 days to present her first defense before the Senate and the trial can last up to six months. The trial will surely not be heard by an all male panel.
Pic By Licurgo.miranda
